The Throne Wars
by scarface101
Summary: One night, on Christmas Eve, Naruto meets a legendary Servant with a special gift for him. Giving him the chance to seize his destiny, trample on those who seek to manipulate him, and perhaps most importantly... find the love and family he has long craved for. (Discontinued for rewrite. Up for Adoption.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I apologize for the delay. Work and the holidays have been keeping me busy, not to **

**mention me and my family are making plans to move to a new home . Hope you enjoy the chapter, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you my faithful readers! **

**Also, quick word of warning. I am not an expert on the Fate series. I am doing the best I can with what I attempt to research on the Wiki. Why am I not an expert? Well… let's just say that I get Vietnam flashbacks thanks to Fate/Stay Night (Anime) and it's extremely poor portrayal of certain characters. Chief among them Emiya Shirou and his damn White Knight Complex. Hence why I hesitate to try and get into other forms of the Anime series. Though I am considering getting into FGO. So apologies in advance.**

**This update is a Christmas present for my buddy XXX777, and all you amazing and wonderful readers. Thanks so much for all your support all these years.**

**Big thanks to Kenchi Narukami as my Beta Reader. **

**Chapter one: Prologue.**

Long, long ago, during a time long before the Rikudou Sennin and Chakra existed in the world. A great and powerful Relic known as the Holy Grail was created. It was a Relic of great power, said to grant the wishes of those who controlled it and granting a mighty army of Servants borne from the essence of many mythical, historic or otherwise legendary figures from across the world.

It often said that whosoever is the Master of the Grail, and its Servants can rule the world. Many sought the Grail for power and wealth, and thus countless wars took place amongst Mages and other warriors vying for control of the ancient Relic. These wars were often known as the Holy Grail Wars. And regardless of the victor, great destruction always followed during and after the Holy Grail Wars.

However, Magus Seers predicted a different kind of war. More terrible than any that had taken place before. The kind that would rock the Heavens and Earth to their very core, and at the center of it all was both the Holy Grail and a Child of Prophecy. According to the Seers, this was the Holy Grail war to end them all, where only the last man standing would be King and would have absolute dominion over the world. This was to be known as… the Throne Wars.

To prevent this war from happening, the Holy Grail was kept hidden and sealed away from the rest of the world, kept under guard by a clan of fierce Crimson haired Warriors that feared not man or beast or even death. The Uzumaki clan.

**Many, many years later. Konoha.**

In the apartment of Naruto Uzumaki, the boy himself sat quietly on his couch watching some holiday specials that were playing on the television. He yawned a bit as he looked up towards his clock and saw that it was getting late and then glanced over to a plate of cookies and a glass of milk he had left out for Santa Claus. For years, he had been attempting to stay away long enough to catch the entity known as Santa in the act and see exactly how the spirit of Christmas delivered presents.

He even had a camera prepared when the jolly old man did show up. And he was going to prove that Santa was actually real and he was more determined than ever before. Especially after Iruka Umino tried to explain to him that Santa wasn't real during his first year at the Academy when Christmas break came around. He also heard stories that if you actually caught Santa in his usual act, you could ask him for a wish, although in doing so you would forfeit your presents the following year. Which was fine with him, his wish was for his dear friend Anko to be freed from her Curse Mark.

He yawned once more as he felt his eyelids grow heavier as the minutes slowly ticked by. He reached for a can of soda and took a large sip of it, hoping the caffeine and sugar will help him stay awake. So far, this had been the longest he had stayed up late at night and he wasn't about to call it quits yet.

Even with the aid of the sugary beverage it was hard to stay awake, his eyes slowly closed once more as it became almost impossible to resist the need for sleep. He could almost feel himself slipping into a blissful slumber, that is until he snapped himself out of it and quickly shook his head to free himself of his previous sleepiness. After a few moments to collect himself, he decided to take another swig of his beverage… only to find that it wasn't the fizzy and sweet taste of soda entering his mouth. But smooth and creamy eggnog.

He looked at his hand, and found that in place of a soda can was a glass of, as he previously tasted, eggnog. Sitting across from him was a tall and curvaceous woman wearing white satin gloves that covered her arms, a santa hat, a crimson shawl and a red top that showed an almost inappropriate amount of cleavage. Her snow white hair was cut short in a somewhat messy pixie cut, her skin was white and free of any blemish, and her long legs were covered in brown stockings. The woman in question was happily chewing on the cookies and took a few sips of milk before speaking "Ara, Ara. Not just anyone can shrug off some of my sleeping dust. You are very strong willed bouya."

"Who the heck are you supposed to be?" The blonde yelped out and pointed an accusatory finger at her. He didn't even sense her presence and yet she somehow snuck in without any trouble.

"Me? Ohohohoho! I am the person you've been staying up to meet every Christmas eve since you were four years old. I'm Santa Claus. MISTRESS Santa Claus. A pleasure to finally greet you in person, Naruto Uzumaki." She greeted him and then waved her hand, causing a small tornado of snowflakes to form in her open palm before a cup of hot chocolate appeared with a candy cane stick resting inside that she used to slowly stir the hot drink.

That small display of magic, and her knowing that much about him was enough for the boy to know that this woman truly was the real thing. His mouth dropped open as he stared at her since she… well… she wasn't at all what he was expecting. "Something to matter dearie? Am I so beautiful to behold your little candy cane is at attention? Or are you surprised the Santa you have long awaited is actually a woman? Or perhaps it is both? Regardless of the case, my 'jolly old man' image has been purported by a certain soda company and other popular works of fiction which I have made no effort to correct, after all… I have to hang up my hat when I'm not working and not be hounded daily by young children. You get the idea." She spoke as she picked up the candy cane from her cup and sensually put in her mouth, sucking off droplets of hot cocoa as her the stick left her ruby colored lips.

"Wow. Okay. The real Santa Claus. Here. In my apartment. I have to know something… how do you do it? How do you deliver presents all across the world in a single night?" The blonde asked since that was perhaps one of the biggest questions surrounding the mystery of Santa.

The silver haired woman giggled lightly and answered him "That's quite often one of the first questions people ask me. The simplest answer is that I am everywhere and nowhere at the same time. While I am here in your apartment speaking to you, I am also all across the world delivering presents to all the good little children, and coal to all the bad ones."

The blonde slowly nodded in understanding as he slowly sipped his eggnog and then figured that if she was everywhere and nowhere, that would also account for how she knew who was naughty and nice throughout the year. "Given my penchant for pranks, I guess I made the naughty list." Causing Mistress Claus to chuckle as she reached down into her cleavage and pulled out a pair of reading glasses and a red leather notebook of some kind.

She flipped it open began reading from it with the help of her glasses and spoke "This year you successfully performed two hundred and sixty-seven pranks. However, throughout your career as a prankmaster, you have not once caused undue harm to your intended victims and have always targeted bullies or other questionable figures. As such, I chose to keep you on the Nice List."

The blonde was a bit surprised by her lax judgement but then, she probably had her own system for determining whether or not someone deserves to be on her Naughty list or not. "I appreciate that, though I'm kinda surprised. Something else I wanted to ask was… well… do you really grant someone's wish if they see you during Christmas Eve?"

At his question she gave him a sultry smile and crossed on leg over the other, giving him a brief glimpse of her red and white striped panties and answered "Yes I do. But the catch is that if I grant you a wish, you'll forfeit your presents for next year. Is that acceptable? If so, I suggest you make your wish count." She suggested with a wink, although she could already guess what he wanted since she knew he was a kind and caring boy.

"If you can, I wish that you remove all the Curse Mark's that Orochimaru has ever created and make it so he can never ever make another one again." He spoke without hesitation since he knew that the Curse Mark was a symptom of Orochimaru's evil, and the best way to eliminate it… would be to cut it off at the source.

A sharp glint twinkled in Santa's baby blue eyes as she wagged her finger a little causing tiny silver snowflakes to appear from the tip of her finger. And with that she spoke with a crooked smirk "Done and done. With that out of the way, it's time for your Christmas present." She spoke and then produced a golden chalice from the valley of her breasts and placed it on the table across from him. He tilted his head to the side and wondered why Santa would give him a golden chalice of all things. Seeing his confusion Santa began to explain to the boy "This is an ancient Relic known as the Holy Grail. An item of which that many people have fought and killed for. A certain person requested that I give this to you when I felt the time was right. It is said that whoever controls the Grail can rule the world."

The blonde set his eggnog down and hesitantly reached towards the Grail and could almost swear he felt a strange energy coming off of it. "Who asked you to give this to me? Why me?" He asked only for Santa to give a little smirk and put a finger to her lips.

"My apologies. But said requester told me not to tell you. Only to give you a small warning. No matter the cost, do not let anyone steal the Grail from you. If they do, terrible things can and will happen. Best try to keep the secrets of the Grail to yourself. Oh, I almost forgot. You'll be needing these." The Spirit of Christmas answered him and then seemingly reached into the empty Chalice, and then pulled out what appeared to be a deck of cards that she placed in front of the Jinchuuriki.

"Merry Christmas Naruto-kun… or should I say… 'Master'? Ohohoho!" With that said Santa vanished in a swirl of snowflakes and transformed into a card that slowly floated down and landed atop the deck. The blonde picked up the card and saw the picture of Santa Claus herself on it, sitting in front of a fireplace drinking a mug of hot chocolate while reviewing her Naughty/Nice notebook.

Growing curious he pulled out another card from the deck and found a blonde woman with a red dress that almost seemed to be dancing. This one titled 'Nero'. Then he pulled another depicting a woman in blue armor carrying a lance while gallantly riding a horse, this one being titled 'Artoria Pendragon (Lancer.)'

Hmming quietly to himself he pocketed the deck of cards and picked up the chalice which felt oddly warm in his hands. Whoever controls the Grail can control the world? That sounded quite ominous. He still had difficulty understanding why Santa would put such an object in his care, but now that he had it, he supposed it was now his responsibility. He would need to keep it safe and keep it a secret.

He hopped off his couch and went to a spot in the corner and then lifted up some loose boards that he had yet to fix but hadn't gotten around to it. But now it seemed like it would be a good spot to hide the chalice… at least for now until he could find a far better spot. Maybe somewhere in the Forest of Death. There were more than plenty of spots he could hide it there, and no one would ever find it.

After hiding the Grail away, the boy suddenly decided to go visit his friend Anko and reveal to her what had happened. At least the parts about Santa and the wish he made, and maybe about this weird deck of cards. He briefly cursed himself for forgetting to take a picture of Santa but the lack or a Curse mark should be more than enough proof of what happened.

With a broad smile, he rushed out of his apartment and ran as fast as he could to Anko's home. After a few minutes he arrived at his destination and began slamming his fist against the door while using his free hand to repeatedly push the doorbell. "ANKO! ANKO! ANKO! OPEN UP! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. This went on for a few seconds until he heard a lock on the other side click, alerting him that his friend had finally woken up and had come to greet him.

The door opened revealing the Dango lover with her hair unkempt and messy, wearing only a black shirt with the words 'Bad girl' on the front and a pair of purple colored panties. Before she could even open her mouth, the whiskered teen began jabbering incoherently as he tried to explain what had happened, but this caused the Snake Mistress to tilt her head in confusion as she tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes.

"What? What do ya want gaki? Sasuke fell down a well? Kizashi Haruno's bankrupt? I can't understand a fucking word you're saying." She spoke with slight irritation for being woken up at this hour, but she knew that the blonde was most likely here for good reason. So she'd try to hear him out… keyword 'try'

Realizing that he was speaking way too fast for her, the Jinchuuriki took a deep breath to calm himself and then put on a sickeningly sweet smile as he spoke "Heeeeeeeey Anko-chan. How are you feeling right now?"

The Snake user blinked several times as she frowned a bit and leaned against her door frame as she answered "Tired. Slightly miffed at being woken up. Otherwise? I'm effing peachy. Now, what the hell do you want gaki? Why the hell were you about to tear down my door?"

The boy could only snicker as he answered "I just wanted to check on one of my bestest friends ever. And aren't you feeling better? Maybe like a burden has been lifted off your shoulders?" He asked with a smile so nauseatingly sweet that it could cause cavities while at the same time trying to drop a hint about her lack of a Curse Mark.

"Ummmm. Naruto? You're kinda freaking me out right now. I told you, I'm fine. Better than fine. Feels like my Curse mark isn't constantly throbbing anymore." She answered as she crossed her arms beneath her impressive bust…. Then she registered what she had just said as a large question mark blinked over her head since she could no longer feel the constant burning sensation of the Curse mark in her shoulder.

Reaching up to rub the spot where the Curse mark was imprinted into her flesh, she could no longer feel its corrosive presence or its chakra inside of her either. "Naruto? Could you excuse me for just a sec?" She asked and then slammed the door in his face as her footsteps retreated deeper into her apartment. Naruto could only guess that she had finally caught on and had gone to find a mirror to check her shoulder.

His guess was quickly proven correct when he heard an ear-piercing scream come from inside the apartment following by a shout of "IT'S GONE! IT'S FINALLY FUCKING GONE!" After a few more seconds, Anko nearly ripped her door off its hinges and yanked the boy inside by the collar of his shirt and promptly dumped him on her couch.

"Okay Naruto. You better explain right now. How the hell did you know about my Curse Mark being gone? How was it removed?" She questioned him. Although it was easy to see she was trying to resist the urge to glomp him between her large breasts, burst into tears of joy or both.

"Well… I met Santa Claus, who is actually a woman and I made a wish." He explained, giving her the long and short of what had happened earning a confused look from the purplette who mumbled 'Say wha?'

Sighing, the whiskered boy went into detail about how he had met Santa, and about the wish he had made and the strange deck of cards he'd been given. Though he left out the bit about the Grail. Not because he didn't trust Anko, but more to protect her in case it was dangerous. The whole time, Anko listened intently, the whole thing seemed a little farfetched, but she knew that Naruto wasn't a liar and she had no other explanation about how the damned hickey was removed.

On top of that, Naruto also pulled a fast one on her Ex-Sensei since he can no longer make Curse Marks. Meaning Orochimaru would be forced to rot away in whatever body he was inhabiting now. She had never felt so happy in her entire life! "Naruto-kun… you have no idea how much I owe ya right now." She spoke as tears welled up in her eyes, the dam she had built up to hold back the waterworks finally giving way.

"Aww. You don't owe me anything Anko. We're friends." He answered with a kind smile. But then Anko shook her head in denial.

"Shaddap! This… that damned mark caused me so much suffering. Because of what that bastard did to me all those years ago, so many people doubted my loyalty to Konoha. Even though I was used as a Guinea pig, even though I want nothing to do with Orochimaru short of killing him, it was never enough. Every waking moment, that mark would constantly throb and burn against my skin. Every night I could hear his voice whispering in my dreams. And… now that's all gone. Naruto-kun… thank you. Thank you so much. I owe you well… everything.

I mean it. You want me to teach you some Jutsu? Done. Take you as an apprentice when you graduate? Done. You wanna tie me to my bed and fuck the shit out of my holes day and night until I'm a brain dead cum toilet? I'm all yours. Just say the word and your wish is my command. No questions asked. I swear it on my headband and honor as a Kunoichi."

The boy blushed slightly at the idea since Anko's body was indeed pleasing to the eye. He'd be lying if he said he never had wet dreams about certain members of the fairer sex, including Anko herself. With a sheepish grin, he supposed he had no choice but to accept. "Putting it like that, I accept. I'd certainly love to be your apprentice and all that good stuff. But unless I can pull off that damn Clone Jutsu I won't even make it to the Shinobi roster, much less a team or apprenticeship."

"Au contraire my adorable Naruto-kun. According to the rules, you need to he able to perform 'A' clone jutsu. Not 'the' clone jutsu. Back in the day, it was pretty common for students with larger than normal Chakra reserves to be unable to perform that crappy Academy taught Clone jutsu. So students with higher Chakra levels were given permission to learn different variations to help them succeed. Iruka hasn't told you that?" She asked at the end as she scratched her cheek with a lone finger.

"Nope. In the entire time I have been at the Academy, that's never been brought up. Iruka just keeps telling me to keep practicing the Clone Jutsu without telling me what I'm doing wrong." The blonde answered bitterly since he was certain that damned Chunin was deliberately sabotaging him through his negligence.

Before their conversation could continue, a dull white glow could be seen inside of his pocket as a card flew out and then in a bright flash of white light and silver snowflakes appeared the form of Santa Claus in all her glory. "Merry Christmas darlings." She greeted with a small bow, causing her huge breasts to jiggle a bit.

"The hell? I didn't summon you or anything." The Jinchuuriki pointed out, since he hadn't yet figured out the full mechanics behind those cards. Though he was fairly certain they couldn't summon themselves… could they?

"Ah. I suppose I didn't mention this. But during the Christmas season, most especially on Christmas Eve is when my power is at its strongest, allowing me to make my rounds every year. Even in my card form I am still aware of all the happenings in the world. One of the perks of being Santa Claus." The white haired woman answered before giving out her signature 'Ohohoho' laugh.

"You? You're Santa fucking Claus? You're… not at all what I was expecting." The snake user spoke in a skeptical tone. With a smirk, Santa reached between her breasts and pulled out some kind of playing card kept in a glass frame and offered it to the Dango lover.

"I believe you wanted this when you were six. A Minimon, limited edition, legendary rank Zhooper. Is that right?" Santa asked with a knowing smile as Anko accepted the gift with trembling fingers.

"Holy shit. I remember these. Only one hundred of this particular card was ever made. I always wanted one to finish out my collection. With… with this… my Minimon collection is fully complete. You… you really are Santa." She stuttered a bit, a part of her wondering if this night could get any better. As a young girl she had collected those playing cards, and even as an adult she kept an album of her entire collection. But there was always the one card that was missing… and at long last she had it in her hands.

"The one and only dearie. Consider that a reward for being a good girl, and for being a good friend to Naruto-kun for all these years. Now then, I think there's something you need to know about one Iruka Umino." The Holiday Servant responded as she reached into the valley of her breasts once more and pulled out her reading glasses and notebook with both Pariahs wondering what she's about to say about the Chunin teacher. Something incriminating most likely given her tone.

Santa hummed 'jingle bells' beneath her breath as she flipped through the pages until she reached the desired entry and spoke "Iruka Umino. It seems that one 'Jiraiya' has been sending monthly payments to your Academy teacher's account to spy on and hinder any signs of growth or development in school."

"Jiraiya? The fuck? What the hell does that shitbag up to? Why does he care about Naruto's education? And why does he want it sabotaged?" Anko questioned in a rapid-fire manner, her face reddening in anger. Feeling furious that the old bastard would dare do that to her Naruto-kun, and perhaps even more furious that Iruka was going along with it.

"Jiraiya? I feel like I've heard that name from somewhere." The blonde spoke since the name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember why or where he had possibly heard it from.

"He was the Sandaime's student back in the day. You might know him as the Toad Sannin, and potentially an enemy of all women. He's also bothered me on occasion, offering to do something about my Curse mark in exchange for sex. He's a real piece of shit. Problem is he's currently Konoha's resident spymaster, so he gets a lot of leeway. But I think that's gonna change." Anko explained and gave a shark-like grin since they now had the ultimate spy in the form of Santa, who always knows if a person's good or bad.

"I believe you're right dearie. It'll be my pleasure to assist, if only for the sake of my new Master." Santa announced with a small smile as she sipped at a cup of hot cocoa that seemingly appeared out of thin air.

"Works for me. We can report this to the Hokage, first thing in the morning. Also… I think I might know a few clone techniques to teach you Naruto-kun." Anko spoke with a cheeky grin, she was very eager to start taking him under her wing and start to repay her debt to him. Things were about to get very interesting from here on. Naruto glanced at his pocket and pulled out the deck of cards since he was also eager to get to know how it worked and all the various Summons inside.

Graduation was about a week after Christmas break, so there was plenty of time for him to get started and finally get a leg up. He was eager to finally kick some assholes like Iruka off their high horse, and now he had the means to do it.

Santa Claus had given him the ammunition, now he just had to pull the trigger.

**The next morning. Hokage's office.**

Hiruzen sighed as he sat in his office as he was buried underneath a mountain of paperwork which seemed almost double the size than usual since it was the holidays. He had been so busy he had been unable to find a certain toy that his grandson wanted very badly, he even went so far as to commission a D-rank mission for a ninja team to track down the toy, but it was impossible since it had already been sold out.

He was worried since it was Christmas day, and Konohamaru would be disappointed at not getting his present. His fears seemed to come to fruition when the form of his grandson came barging into his office shouting "Merry Christmas!" The Sandaime nervously returned the greeting as he tried to think up an explanation as to why the boy's present would be late. He supposed he had little choice other than to tell the boy the truth.

Before either members of the Sarutobi family could even speak, three new figures entered behind the younger Sarutobi. "Morning Jiji! Merry Christmas!" greeted Naruto with a large grin as he was accompanied by the form of Anko Mitarashi and an unfamiliar woman who seemed to be dressed very much like Santa Claus.

"Ah. Merry Christmas to you as well Naruto-kun?" The Hokage asked, hoping to delay the impending conversation with his grandson, even though he knew it was inevitable.

"Got something to tell you. It's important. And… who's this guy?" The whiskered boy asked as he turned to the boy with the long blue scarf.

Before Hiruzen could introduce his grandson, the white haired woman beat him to the punch and said "That is Konohamaru Sarutobi. Poor boy has been feeling rather lonely since people only know him as the 'honorable grandson' of the Sandaime Hokage, and not as 'Konohamaru'. He's a genuinely good boy though. This year he wanted a Steel Samurai action figure."

The brown haired boy's eyes lit up like stars as he spoke "Woooooow. How'd you know all about that?"

"Easy. I'm Santa Claus." She answered with a small 'ohohoho', her response making both Sarutobi's tilt their heads and look at her with some skepticism. Although Konohamaru seemed more receptive to her identity but still couldn't help but ask "Are you really Santa? Aren't you supposed to be some fat old guy with a sleigh and reindeer?"

The white haired woman clicked her tongue and waved a finger from side to side as she replied "I'm afraid that is untrue. But I can still prove it. Did you know that when your grandfather was a boy, he wanted a Katana? Not just any katana, he wanted a special one made from the forges by the Samurai. Like so." She then reached deep into the valley of her breasts, making both Sarutobi's blush as she began to pull said katana from breasts and revealed it to be a blade from the Busujima family. A world renowned family of Samurai and Katana makers. Finding one outside the land of Samurai was next to impossible.

She placed it on the desk in front of Hiruzen as he picked the sword up and pulled it out of its scabbard a bit, as his jaw dropped. Santa then reached between her breasts once more and pulled out a Steel Samurai action figure still in its box and gave it to the scarf wearing boy whose face was now beaming since this was indisputable proof she truly was Santa. "Yaaaaaaaaas! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you!" The boy shouted before he ran off, likely going to enjoy his present for the day.

"How is this possible?" The Sandaime questioned, prompting Naruto to explain everything to the Hokage, from Santa's first appearance to his wish about the Curse marks and so on, though once more he left out the bit about the Grail since it would be best that only he knew about it for the time being. The whole time Hiruzen listened with immense interest and fully accepted it since he had absolutely no reason to doubt Naruto, not to mention Anko showed him the lack of a Curse mark, further proving the story to be true. Afterwards, the boy finished with revealing what Santa had told them about Iruka and Jiraiya. The news shocking the Hokage.

"... And that's the whole story. So what's the deal with this Jiraiya guy? What's his interest in me?" The blonde questioned as he crossed his arms since that had been the question on his mind all night long.

The Sandaime laced his fingers together and spoke with a certain amount of venom in his voice "Well Naruto-kun… the truth is that your father wanted Jiraiya to be your godfather, although your mother heatedly disagreed. Jiraiya has some kind of obsession with a prophecy of some sort, believing you to be a part of it. Aside from that, I haven't the slightest clue what he hopes to gain from this."

"My father? My mother? Who were they?" Naruto demanded as he slammed his hands on the Hokage's desk, making Hiruzen sigh since the boy was now asking questions he had hoped to hold off on, and had been sworn to silence.

"My apologies Naruto-kun. But I am unable to tell you. I made oaths of silence and cannot tell you much about them until you reach the rank of Chunin. All I can say for sure, is that they were both the best Ninjas I ever had the honor of knowing, and they have countless enemies inside and outside of Konoha who would seek to manipulate or harm you. I'm sorry. Truly. But I cannot tell you, even though I desperately want to. The risks are too great at this time." The Hokage explained.

At first the Jinchuuriki felt angry, but he couldn't help but concede. If his parents really had enemies that even the Hokage was worried about, it was probably for good reason the whole truth behind his parentage had been kept hidden… for now. "Okay Jiji. I believe you. But seriously… this Jiraiya guy is supposed to be my Godfather? Where the hell has he been all my life whenever I may have needed him? Was it too much for him to occasionally drop by and visit? Or send a letter or something? Whoever he is, I honestly don't care anymore. He has been fucking up my education, and has neglected in his job as a godfather. Whoever he is, he's dead to me."

"Right you are Naruto-kun. I'll make sure that both Iruka and Jiraiya pay dearly for this… but first would you care for a little payback against the former? Seems only fair you get a small pound of flesh before I bring the hammer down." The Sandaime asked, having a somewhat sadistic glint in his eye. Giving Naruto the impression that he had an idea he was very much going to enjoy.

**A week later. Graduation day. (Konoha Academy.)**

At long last, Graduation day had arrived and may hopeful Genin candidates couldn't wait to pass the exam. However, it was rumored that things were going to be different this time, with written exams being optional for extra credit. Though no one was certain exactly how this year was going to be different, not even the teachers knew for sure what was going on, but the word was that the Hokage himself would be overseeing this exam himself.

Naruto smirked as he twirled a kunai between his fingers, now sporting clothes and armor similar to what the Shodaime Hokage wore back in his prime. A small 'thank you' gift from the Hokage for helping make his grandson a very happy child since the boy was Santa's master. He had spent the past week training and preparing himself, and he felt ready to take on the world. Not to mention he had an entire deck full of legendary heroes and figures in his pocket, many of them spoiling for a fight. The summoning process itself was actually simple, all he needed to do was draw the desired card and channel his chakra into it to summon a Servant. And since he was the owner of the Grail, the Servants would only obey him, so he didn't need to worry about that… unless the Grail is stolen.

Fortunately had hidden it deep within the Forest of Death, in a spot only he was familiar with. So it would be impossible for anyone to find it unless he told them, or someone dug around inside his head. His musing was interrupted when the students were called to gather around the Academy's sparring ring, prompting the students to silently obey as they shuffled around and began to gather at the designated area. After a few minutes, the Hokage appeared and cleared his throat, with Anko Mitarashi standing nearby.

"Welcome to all of you. This year, I have decided to perform a trial run of a new graduation exam. Why? It has recently come to my attention that the current Academy curriculum has put more emphasis on theory and written exercises than practical and physical ones. Additionally, I have… eyewitness reports of certain teachers taking bribes to rig the education of certain students. Your goal for this exam is simple, last three minutes in the ring against your designated opponent, push them out of the arena, make them surrender, or knock them out. Simple and straightforward. Any questions?" The Sandaime asked, and waited a few moments.

The students all murmured amongst themselves, wondering who the teachers were that were being bribed. Such an offense was punishable with jail time… extreme jail time. Like 'flush the key down the toilet' kind of jail time. In the background, Iruka sweated nervously as he wondered if he'd been caught… but then he hadn't been arrested yet.

"I have a question. Can we use Ninja tools and Jutsu?" Spoke the form of Naruto with a raised hand, a broad grin on his face. The Sandaime smiled and nodded, giving confirmation that was within the rules. After waiting a few more moments for any additional questions, the Hokage announced "For our first match, Naruto Uzumaki will be facing Iruka Umino."

At that, Naruto let out a loud whoop of excitement as he seemingly bounced inside of the Arena and began to stretch out his limbs a bit while Iruka also entered. "This has got to be a joke. Naruto-kun doesn't stand a chance against me, a Chunin for crying out loud." The scarred Chunin spoke in a sympathetic tone, though it was easy to tell that it was both fake and had a mocking undertone to it.

"You can drop the act, ya bastard! I'm gonna make you pay for trying to keep me a prisoner in the Academy. And I have just the Servant in mind for you!" The blonde announced gleefully as his hand reached towards a special holster on his leg, carrying the Servant cards. He smirked as he pulled out the first card on top of the deck and called out "**Quetzalcoatl!"**

In a flash of golden light, a blonde woman in rather revealing attire appeared with a Macana at her hip. "Ara ara. So I'm the first to be summoned to battle? What an honor! I shall not fail you Master!" The blonde woman giggled as she happily clapped her hands. The Chunin teacher tilted his head, wondering what kind of Contract the boy signed to summon a human being… but was it really human? Now that he thought about it… wasn't that the name of a god from another culture the boy had called out? Had he just literally summoned a god? No… that's impossible.

"I'm not sure what game you're playing here but…" Iruka tried to speak, but was cut off when the blonde goddess sent a thunderous kick to his chest region, sending him flying back a few feet and then started rolling across the ground. The Chunin heaved for air as he shakily got to his feet, years of lack of training obviously showing.

When Iruka looked up at the blonde woman, her teeth had taken on an almost shark-like appearance as she marched towards him. In a panic he tossed a kunai in her direction only for her to bat away the projectile as if she were shooing away a fly. "I may have only recently entered the Master's employ, but I find it utterly disgusting that a swine like you would dare sabotage his education, yes!" She spoke with a ferocious and almost satanic grin as the Chunin got up from the ground and adopted a sloppy looking taijutsu stance.

"I, uhh, don't know what you're talking about lady! You've got the wrong guy!" He shouted, trying to hide his guilt, he glanced around and spotted the other students murmuring amongst themselves as they looked at their teacher suspiciously.

"Don't avert your eyes in a fight!" She shouted as she grabbed him by the throat and used the force of her momentum to slam him to the ground. She began to laugh maniacally as she lifted her fist up and slammed it down into the Chunin's face. The sounds of bone and cartilage breaking could be heard as she continued beating the Chunin with her bare fist. Many of the students cringed at the display of brutality, with some of them shouting for the fight to be stopped.

The Hokage stood by silently as Anko quietly munched on some dango, neither of them making any effort to stop the match. As the beating continued, Iruka's face became less and less recognizable, appearing like an improperly packaged pile of meat at this point. At last, the blonde woman stood over Iruka and slammed her foot down on his crotch… several times. When she was finished, she stepped aside and gestured for her master to join her. The Jinchuuriki smirked as he stood over the barely conscious teacher and spoke "You kept on failing me because I couldn't perform a Clone Jutsu… how about this?"

With a single hand sign, the boy produced a number of perfect replicas of himself, who held down the teacher's limbs, showing they were solid clones. The goddess offered her Macana to her master who accepted it, and lifted it high in the air before bringing it down on his crotch with a sickening squelch sound. "That's for being a shitty teacher." The whiskered teen growled before spitting on the scarred man.

"Point well made Naruto-kun." Hiruzen spoke and then snapped his fingers, prompting several Anbu to appear and began dragging him away, leaving a bloody trail from his now destroyed crotch. The Hokage then addressed both students and other teachers who had watched the grisly scene. "Let this be a lesson to any and all teachers of the Academy. Selling out, accepting bribes, and sabotaging a student's education will not be tolerated." The other teachers, most especially a certain white haired Chunin sweated nervously and knew that it would not be wise to go down the same road as Iruka… or at the very least try not to get caught.

With that said, the Hokage announced "It is now my proud duty to announce Naruto-kun as the first graduate of this class, and the first Elite Genin. He shall be trained personally by Anko Mitarashi, in recognition of his service of exposing this corruption, among other things." With that said, the Sandaime pulled a headband out from his robes and personally offered it to the Jinchuuriki himself. Quietly congratulating the boy for graduating and punishing the likes of Iruka with the aid of his Goddess Servant.

In the background, Sasuke Uchiha leered at the Dead-last, finding it ridiculous that Naruto had passed in spite of barely doing anything. But still… he recognized that… that woman with the long name was still powerful. And it seemed she hadn't even shown her full strength yet. If he could somehow acquire whatever Summons the dobe had, he could kill his elder brother with little difficulty. On another note, he was livid at how the dobe got a special rank and his own apprenticeship, he as an Uchiha should be getting those things. Not some orphan brat.

While Sasuke was stewing in his brooding. Naruto asked the Hokage "So what does being an Elite Genin entail exactly?" since he wondered if it came with any extra responsibilities and privileges. If so, a tiny part of him was looking forward to rubbing it in the face of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno who had relentlessly bullied him throughout his time in the Academy, usually in the forms of beatings.

"Well Naruto-kun, it means you'll sometimes be called to assist other Genin teams in certain missions, and you're of a higher rank then theirs, giving you some authority over them. So on and so forth. For now, focus on your training with Anko until I call on you for an assignment. In the meantime, I'll see about getting Jiraiya back in the village so he can answer for his wrongdoings." Hiruzen answered, making the boy nod in understanding.

Now that he was finally free of the Academy, he could focus on his training under a competent teacher that actually cared about him. Smirking, he turned to the goddess and spoke "Thanks for the assist Que-chan. That felt great."

"My pleasure master! Summon me anytime, yes! I look forward to future battles!" She spoke as she clapped her hands together. She stood there with a bright smile on her face… which slowly became uneasy as the moment became a little awkward. "Erm… master? I can't change back into my card form without your leave." She explained, wondering why her master hadn't sent her back to the Deck of Heroes.

"Do I have to though? Wouldn't you rather be able to walk about and enjoy the world instead of being stuck in a card?" The whiskered teen asked innocently as he tilted his head. His question earning a stunned silence from the goddess… until she burst into boisterous laughter.

"Ahahaah! Master! You're too much for me, yes! If it is your wish, then I welcome this freedom you so graciously give me! Ne, Master? Do you know anything about luchadores?" she asked and then wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Seems like you're gonna have your hands full from here on Gaki. I'm looking forward to this. Just wait till you see what else I have waiting for ya. That Shadow clone technique I taught ya is just the tip of the iceberg." The purple haired woman spoke with a small giggle it was going to be fun, being his teacher. A small part of her picturing herself in a leather corset, acting as a 'different' kind of teacher for her new student.

"No kidding. I get the feeling I'll have plenty of sparring partners to pick from too." He answered his new sensei while patting at the Deck attached to his hip. Things were definitely looking up for him now, and it was all thanks to a Christmas miracle. Things could only get better from here on. Although, judging from the sour looks he was being given from some of his now ex-classmates... he would probably have some problems to deal with in the future. Chiefly from Sasuke Uchiha. But he would deal with that in the future, for now... he would savor this victory.

**End chapter one.**

**Next potential update(s): Keys to the Kingdom, Empathy, Throne Wars.**

**A/N: This was something of a rush job for me since I wanted to finish it as soon as possible. So apologies for any mistakes. Anyways, I'm not sure when my next update will be since I'll be moving soon. Probably in a week or so. Anyways, thanks for everything my readers. Thanks for your time, your reviews, and so much more. And Merry Christmas to all, even if you don't necessarily celebrate Christmas. Thanks again. And yes, Santa Claus is an OC Servant.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay my readers. Moving and settling into a new home can be quite the process. Fortunately, my mom gifted me a new tablet with a keyboard attached, so hopefully my writing can get back on track asap. Thanks very much for your patience.**

**Big thanks to Kenchi Narukami as my Beta Reader.**

**Chapter two: Temptation.**

Deep beneath the newly formed village of Oto, the sounds of crashing and glass shattering could be heard as the form of a certain Sannin screamed out in a fit of rage "How could this have happened?!" He shouted and overturned a table, sending it and the objects atop it to smash against the floor. For reasons unknown, his connection to the Curse marks had been mysteriously severed, at first he believed it to be the machinations of his former comrade Jiraiya.

However, that didn't seem likely… because the Curse marks had all been dispelled and removed from the necks of his own personal guard, without any explanation. Even worse, when he attempted to replace the Curse marks again, they would fizzle out and fade instantly. Without the Curse marks to serve as a catalyst for the body transfer technique, he was doomed to rot in his current body. And if his calculations were right, he currently had less than a year before he expired.

He needed another solution and quickly. Even a temporary one would suffice until he could figure out what went wrong with his Curse marks. The formula was supposed to be foolproof and unbreakable… he could only surmise that unnatural means were used to dispel them. But that was an issue to be shelved until he wasn't pressed for time. The only viable means he could think of to stave off oblivion was to use the Edo Tensei to revive himself. Not the most ideal option, but he had no other choice at the time.

He would need to make contact with his inside man and acquire the Forbidden Scroll as soon as possible. It was likely he could potentially improve upon or learn some other secrets of the Edo Tensei or the various other techniques within. He would be sure to give Mizuki the combination to the Hokage safe, and stress the need for subtlety. The sooner that scroll was in his hands, the sooner he could begin running damage control over this disaster.

**Later. Konoha.**

At the edge of the Forest of Death, Naruto sat on the ground, humming to himself as he flipped through the cards he had received from the Grail to better familiarize himself with the many heroes within. He found and recognized many individuals from across history and mythology. For some reason, as soon as he saw a card, he could almost instantly sense the Servant's abilities and such. Was it due to him being the current owner of the Grail or some other reason? He wasn't entirely sure.

Still, now that he was an Elite Genin, things were definitely looking up. From what he had heard, after Iruka's arrest, he was dishonorably discharged from the Shinobi corps and publicly labeled a disgrace to Shinobi everywhere before being locked away for the next twenty or so years in prison. After that, a thorough investigation took place to see if any other Chunin were taking bribed and unfairly favoring or sabotaging certain students.

Furthermore, the Sandaime arranged for a new Academy curriculum that was used during the previous Shinobi war, which made students learn more practical skills rather than learning theory. Especially after seeing the performance of numerous fangirls who basically scratched, pulled hair and even tried to bite during class spars over the course of the school year, according to numerous accounts from both faculty and students. The many of the former never attempting to make any corrections to this.

Naruto was also aware that the Sandaime had sent an emergency summons to Jiraiya, calling him back to Konoha as soon as possible. It was only a matter of time before the bastard finally showed up and would finally answer for what he had been doing. The boy's musing was interrupted when the form of Anko appeared in a swirl of leaves with Quetzalcoatl having a hand on her shoulder. The two ladies having bubbly smiles as the Dango lover held up a takeout bag of… well… you guessed it, Dango.

"Ohayo master! We brought some yummy treats for you, yes! Your teacher has been showing me where lots of yummy food can be found." The goddess announced with a bubbly demeanor. Obviously enjoying walking amongst people once more and touring Konoha.

"Appreciate it. Glad to see you're having fun." The whiskered teen replied with a warm grin, while Anko sat down next to him and opened up the bag and promptly handed her student and the Goddess their shares before taking her own and began to indulge in her favorite sweets.

"Just a heads-up for ya, thought you might like to know about this. Sasuke and Sakura are on Team Seven with some new guy called Sai, their sensei being Kakashi Hatake. Kiba, Hinata and Shino are training under my pal Kurenai. And the next generation for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio are being taught by Asuma. Just thought I'd let you know in case we need to work with them in the future." Anko announced between several bites of her dango.

The whiskered teen hummed to himself a bit before replying "Thanks. Sasuke being taught by the famous Copy nin huh? No big surprise since Kakashi's probably the only one that can teach the little bastard about the Sharingan. Still… how the hell did Sakura pass?" He questioned at the end, wondering how the likes of the hardcore fangirl could have managed to make it through the exam which focused more heavily on actual combat. And as far as he knew, Sakura had zero skills in Taijutsu.

"Dunno. Heard she somehow managed to stay within the ring and not get thrown out. If only by the skin of her teeth. I'm betting either dumb luck or her daddy was somehow involved. Kizashi probably wants to keep her as close as possible to the oh-so-precious Uchiha." The Snake Mistress explained bitterly since it was hardly a secret that Kizashi was obsessed with the Uchiha fortune for reasons unknown. Not to mention, it was because of him that Anko never got fully promoted to the rank of Jonin on the grounds that she might still be an agent for her 'supposedly' former teacher.

Fortunately, the removal of her mark would be a big help at finally getting the long-awaited promotion. It felt good to be able to use her full capabilities without being hampered by the effects of the mark, which was yet another thing that had held her back.

"Right, so what's the plan now Sensei? Do a little training, then grind through D-rank missions or something?" The whiskered teen asked, both out of curiosity and to divert the subject since talking about the Uchiha and/or Kizashi always left a foul taste in his mouth.

"Training, yes. D-ranks? Fuck no. I'm not that sadistic. I'll see about toughening you up and preparing you for some C-ranks. It's only a matter of time before some dumbass Sensei puts his team on a mission they aren't prepared for, and then we'll be called to provide backup." Anko answered with a chuckle, though unknown to them… a certain masked Jonin sneezed.

"Sounds good to me. Neh, Que-chan. You mind sparring with me for a bit?" The boy asked the blonde goddess, who smiled and clapped her hands together happily.

"It would be my pleasure, yes! I would love to help you get stronger master!" Quetzalcoatl replied jovially. Very much looking forward to throwing fists with her master, since in her opinion a spar was one of the best ways for two warriors to connect and learn from one another. For some reason though… Naruto got a strong feeling that he was gonna be sporting some heavy bruising at the end of this training session. Guess there's a reason why the saying 'no pain, no gain' exists.

**Meanwhile. Konoha hot springs.**

Sasuke Uchiha hmmed to himself quietly in thought as he replayed the dobe's fight with Iruka over and over again. Wondering how the dead-last had acquired some kind of summoning contract. He had recalled the name of the strange woman, 'Quetzalcoatl' strange name, but it was the name of a god from another culture. He remembered reading about such things when he was younger. Had the dobe truly summoned a god? Or was it just some woman that shared the same name? Either way… she was powerful. And her power was wasted on the Dobe.

If only he had a means to tip the scales, or get whatever summoning contract the loser had. Most times, when Sasuke wanted something, most everyone was prepared to cater to his every whim and would give him whatever he desired. Those he refused, he could call on Kizashi Haruno to strong-arm them into caving into Sasuke's demands. But Naruto was different, he wasn't a sycophant like so many others, and he was not at all afraid of Kizashi either. Convincing the Dobe would be no simple matter.

The Uchiha's musings were interrupted when he heard a door open, making the self-proclaimed avenger growl "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be disturbed." At that, the stranger chuckled a bit and then replied back "My apologies Sasuke-sama, but I thought you might be interested in a means to gain more power for yourself."

At that the very mentioning of the word 'power' Sasuke's ears perked up. He immediately recognized the voice belonging to the Academy teacher Mizuki. "I highly doubt an Academy teacher would have anything to offer, but I'll still hear what you have to say in case it proves useful. Just don't waste my time." The Uchiha spoke with his usual scowl.

"Ohhhh, I think you'll like to hear about this. In the Hokage's office there's a scroll loaded with many powerful jutsu called the Forbidden Scroll. It's just sitting there, gathering dust, and waiting for someone to learn its many secrets. Someone like you." Mizuki spoke as he conspicuously rubbed his hands together, though the Uchiha didn't see since his mind was focused on what the Chunin had spoken. If this scroll was kept in the Hokage's office, there was no doubting its value. This was quite intriguing.

"With the scroll, you could learn techniques to aid in killing Itachi. Techniques that not even he knows." Mizuki spoke, continuing to goad the Uchiha. The Chunin had been surprised to have been contacted by Orochimaru so suddenly, still the Sannin had offered him triple the reward for the scroll. Initially Mizuki had planned to fool Naruto into stealing the scroll, but with Anko as his sensei, it was possible she might smell a rat. Sasuke however, in many ways, was far more gullible and predictable. So much as mention a means to gain power, and Sasuke would take to it like a shark would if it smells blood.

"Tell me more. Where is the scroll specifically? Is it hidden someplace? How do I get to it?" The Uchiha demanded, causing the Chunin to grin maliciously. Hook, line, and sinker. It was just that easy with this high and mighty brat.

**A bit later.**

"Oh Kami. This is too much." Anko giggled to herself in amusement since her student and the goddess began their spar. It started off slow at first, with Naruto trying his best to land a solid hit on Quetzalcoatl, that is… until she caught him in a headlock. Apparently she had a strong passion for lucha libre, which is actually a form of wrestling. Too bad for Naruto he didn't find out until after he had been trapped in the goddess' iron grip. Currently, she had him in a half-Nelson, and the poor boy was flailing about trying to loosen her grip to slip away.

"Ara, ara Master! You can't just wildly thrash about. You need to find some kind of leverage to throw your opponent off balance. Otherwise they may try to strangle you or snap your neck." She spoke in a darker tone at the end, giving a sickly sweet smile as she attempted to teach him how to escape from potential chokeholds. The Jinchuuriki tried to grab her by the legs to lift her up or throw her off, but couldn't seem to get a decent grip on her… and then his hands grabbed something soft and firm which caused a low moan to escape the Goddess' lips.

"Master~ you won't escape my grip by pawing at my body. Or have you decided to take advantage of your current position?" The goddess asked with a teasing smile, her question making the boy wildly swing his legs about and start mumbling denials while claiming it was an accident. While in the background Anko could only burst out in laughter since she knew that Naruto was still but a teenager, therefore of course he had a certain interest in the fairer sex.

"Okay, okay. Let's not kill him with a nosebleed or anything." Anko spoke with a chuckle, prompting the goddess to nod in agreement as she released the boy from her headlock at long last. His body currently covered in a number of bruises from his brief spar with Quetzalcoatl. Truthfully, the goddess was a bit worried she may have been a bit too rough with her master. She did try to hold back her strength, but it was rather difficult to do in a progressively heated sparring match, not to mention humans are such fragile things. However, he didn't seem deterred in the slightest. He was definitely more resilient than the average human.

"Why'd you stop? I can keep on going!" Naruto spoke in slight dismay as he cracked his neck a bit and winced as he tenderly rubbed some of the bruises.

"It's good to train hard. But you shouldn't overdo it. Especially if you might end up hurting yourself. Besides, we're in no rush. We can train at our own pace. You should take a break for the rest of the day." Anko spoke reassuringly, it was nice to have an eager student. Especially her favorite foxy-kun, but sometimes she guessed he was a little too eager. She supposed it was because he wanted to prove his capability. She was actually relieved when he took her advice and nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, you're right Sensei. Guess there's no real need to rush since we've only just started." He replied while the Lucha lover was rubbing his shoulders to help ease some of the soreness in his body.

"Neh, neh. Master! Anko-san was telling me about the village hot springs! We should go to take the edge off after our little training session. It might also be a good opportunity for us to… get to know each other better." The Lucha fan spoke with a low hiss of pleasure, the tone of her voice sending a pleasurable chill up his spine. He could safely guess she may have been referring to the mixed bathing area… but it certainly wasn't a bad idea. the hot springs could help ease some of the ache and bruising.

"Sure. Sounds like fun. You wanna come along too Anko-chan?" The whiskered teen asked with an innocent smile since he didn't want the Snake mistress to feel left out or anything. He was actually a little surprised when she shook her head.

"Appreciate the invite Gaki, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check. Now that my damned Curse mark is gone and I have my own apprentice, I wanna ask the Sandaime if there's any chance I can be promoted to full Jonin level. Ja ne!" She announced before vanishing in a swirl of leaves, which left the two blondes alone. They both grinned at one another, and then nodded in agreement. It was time to hit the hot springs!

Without wasting much time, they left the borders of the infamous forest and entered the village. As they walked down the roads, Naruto caught some small snippets of conversations from the various passersby, some of them quietly praising him for rooting out a corrupt Academy teacher, while others condemned the brutality that was inflicted on said teacher, though it was likely some of them didn't fully understand the situation. For the most part, people kept on whispering amongst themselves about Quetzalcoatl's presence.

Naruto made no comment about it since his reputation never really mattered that much to him. If people accepted him, that would be great. If not, that was on them. It wasn't much longer until they came upon Konoha's famed Hot springs, with both blondes eager to take a dip… although Naruto suddenly scowled when he saw a certain somebody exiting the Hot springs. He kept quiet, hoping not to draw the attention of this person… but it seems the universe wanted to be an ass. "Well now… if it isn't the dobe." spoke the form of Sasuke with wry smirk as he turned towards his former classmate.

"Yeah. Hi to you too Teme." The blonde boy muttered bitterly as he glared at the Uchiha. Quetzalcoatl crossed her arms beneath her bust and stood by quietly since it seemed to two boys knew each other. But this raven haired one with the funny haircut gave off a negative vibe, and the goddess felt ill just to be in his presence. But she would hold her tongue for the time being.

Sasuke gave his signature 'hn' as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking towards the whiskered teen "I'm curious dobe. What kind of summoning contract did you get to summon that woman? She's named after some kind of god, right?" The Uchiha questioned as he leered at the goddess. Though it was not in a lustful manner… it was more like he was eyeing her as some kind of object or tool he could use. Undoubtedly to get his revenge on his elder brother.

"I don't have to tell you anything Sasuke. And no, there's no fucking what I'm gonna hand over whatever power you think I have. So you can just piss off already." Naruto countered heatedly since he wasn't going to tolerate being harrassed by the Uchiha for the Servants. Before the Uchiha could get another word in, the goddess stepped between them as a dark aura surrounded her form, her mouth twisted into a shark-like grin with malicious intent.

"You heard the Master. Go. Away." She spoke with a deep growl, quietly promising the Uchiha horrible and indescribable pain should he continue to push his luck. Whether it was out of simple annoyance or survival instinct, the Uchiha scoffed and backed away… for now.

"Whatever Dobe. I don't need whatever form of power you have. Not when I can get something better." The avenger boasted as he gave a casual wave of his hand. Naruto crossed his arms and scoffed a bit, believing the Uchiha's words to be nothing but hot air… but this time there seemed to be some genuine confidence to it. Deciding to humor his own curiosity and then the Jinchuuriki asked "Oh yeah Sasuke? How're you gonna go about that? I know about your new Sensei. Kakashi right? From what I know, he doesn't have a stellar track record for teaching Genin."

Sasuke chuckled a bit as he turned to look over his shoulder and replied "Not what I was talking about idiot. I know about a certain scroll that's loaded with all the Jutsu I need to kill HIM. And the Hokage has it. If you get in my way, I'll kill you too."

"You know what Sasuke? I DARE you to try." Naruto retorted, hoping the Uchiha will give him an excuse to pulverise his arrogant ass. For a split second, the self-proclaimed 'Elite' seemed to consider it… but then had second thoughts once he glanced over at the goddess who seemed prepared to pounce at the slightest provocation. With a small 'tch' the Uchiha turned on his heel and continued to walk away, leaving the two blondes who glared daggers into his back.

Once Naruto was certain that Sasuke was out of earshot, he spoke up "Something seemed off about what the teme said. Color me crazy… but I think that Sasuke was talking about the Forbidden Scroll."

"Ara? Forbidden Scroll? What's that?" The Lucha lover asked with a raised eyebrow, she wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it did sound rather important.

"The Forbidden Scroll is an artifact of Konoha. All the Jutsu the Hokage's invented and practiced are recorded in it. A lot of them being invented by the Nidaime who came up with some pretty dangerous techniques. If Sasuke's thinking about stealing… well… let's just say that giving that little prick any kind of power would be like giving an arsonist a can of gasoline and a box of matches. It will not end well. I think we should report this to the Hokage, sharpish." The Jinchuuriki explained, earning a low whine from the goddess.

"Eh? But Masteeeeeeer. Hot springs!" She whimpered a bit while pointing towards the entrance which was but a few steps away.

"Later. The Hot springs will still be here when we get back. This shouldn't take long." He replied back, prompting her to reluctantly nod in understanding since her master's word was her bond. He was right, they could come back in just a bit after they spoke with this Hokage person.

**Meanwhile. Hokage office.**

"... And that is the gist of it Hokage-sama." Anko finished after pleading her case to the Sandaime who had listened intently the whole time. Hiruzen hmmed to himself in thought since it was true that Anko did indeed have the needed skills and experience for the rank of Jonin. The only real reason he hadn't fully promoted her was because of the mark which negatively affected her since it often flared up in the heat of battle or when she used too much chakra. But now that it was gone, he had no reason to deny her any longer.

Before he could announce his decision to the Snake user, the door to his office slammed open, revealing the form of Naruto who gave a two-fingered salute. "Yo. Nice to see ya old man." The boy greeted the Hokage, who couldn't help but smile at the boy.

"Hey there Gaki. Thought you were heading to the Hot springs. Something happen?" The Dango lover asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering what could have happened in the past few minutes since she left her student. At that, Naruto described his encounter with Sasuke, quoting word for word, everything that the Uchiha had said. All the while, both Anko and Hiruzen hung onto everything the Jinchuuriki reported.

"You think that Sasuke might try to take the Forbidden Scroll? Such a thing in the hands of a potentially unstable Uchiha is… most frightening." Hiruzen groaned, knowing it was a mistake to allow Sasuke so much leeway. And this was exactly why.

"No kidding. Personally, I don't think Sasuke could have come up with this all on his own. I think someone may have told him about the Scroll, sparking his interest." Naruto spoke as he clasped his hands behind his head, wondering who would do something so dumb.

"No shit. Who the hell would be fucking dumb enough to tell a spoiled douchebag like Sasuke about the Scroll? Kizashi maybe? He's not that dumb, is he?" Anko asked as she used a pinky finger to clean out one of her ears, her face scrunched up in irritation.

"Difficult to say. Almost anyone who knows of Sasuke's obsession with power could easily take advantage of it. And there's no shortage of people hoping to either gain Sasuke's favor or manipulate him for their benefit." The Sandaime pointed out, while Kizashi was a man of highly questionable morality and a known loan shark, he doubted that the man would be foolish enough to tell Sasuke about the scroll.

"Naruto. Anko. I'm assigning you both a special mission. I want you both to monitor Sasuke for the time being, try and figure out how real his threats are. Or better yet, find out who's been having a case of loose lips. I want this matter dealt with before it becomes a serious problem." The Hokage ordered, prompting both Sensei and student to nod and salute.

"You can count on us Hokage-sama. You might want to put a decoy in place of the scroll, as a precaution." Anko pointed out as she looked towards the safe on the wall where the scroll was kept… not exactly the most ideal hiding spot.

"Of course. I'll instruct Neko to hide the scroll in a new location. Someplace less… obvious." The Sandaime answered as he glanced over at the safe. Making a mental note to have a more well-hidden safe installed and to later change the combination. For now, he would entrust things to the two pariahs to uncover what was really going on.

"Well, guess out Hot spring day is cancelled. Time for a stakeout." Naruto pointed out begrudgingly, knowing that the best way to get to the bottom of this would be to covertly spy and follow Sasuke around for a while. It would probably be a good idea to stock up on snacks and the like. To be honest, a small part of him wanted to use Santa's powers to spy on Sasuke and find out about this… but at the same time, it would be way too easy. He didn't want to risk leaning too much on her and make an advantage turn into a crutch. So it would probably be best to do things the old fashioned way.

**Later.**

Outside the apartment of Sasuke Uchiha, on a nearby rooftop the trio of Naruto, Anko and Quetzalcoatl were sitting and watching the Avenger's domicile. Quietly munching on some chips and other assorted goodies as they kept an eye on the Uchiha's residence, so far he hadn't left home yet. But they knew it was a matter of time before he left. "So between spying on the King of Brood, or going on a Tora chase, which would you pick?" Naruto asked humorously, making Anko chuckle.

"Tough call. Really tough call. But if I could 'accidentally' kill one of them, that would make for a much easier choice." Anko replied since that was one of those kinds of questions where you can't win either way. Anko glanced off to the horizon and noted that the sun was going down. It was going to get dark in just a few more minutes.

"Pardon my asking, but what manner of creature is this 'Tora' you speak of?" The Lucha enthusiast asked with a raised eyebrow. She wasn't sure why, but she felt an unpleasant chill down her spine. She could only guess this 'Tora' was some kind of vile monster.

Both pariahs glanced at one another and decided to poke some fun at the Goddess, with Naruto explaining "Well, long ago, the Daimyo's wife was gifted Tora as a pet. However, Tora was an untamable, uncontrollable creature that preferred to live wild and free from the luxuries of the Daimyo's palace. It is said that Tora has teeth like needles, claws that can cause the worst kind of pain imaginable. When Tora passed away… it was reincarnated in a new form bearing the same name. And since then, it has become something of a rite of passage for Genin to chase and capture Tora."

"Eeeeeh? What a creepy story! Should this Tora ever dare cross paths with my master, I will show it no mercy!" The goddess spoke and gripped her macana. The student and master pair, giggling to themselves since they failed to mention that Tora was only a common housecat… maybe.

After this brief interaction, Naruto looked over and saw the Uchiha leaving his apartment. "All right gang. Showtime. Let's see what he's up to." Naruto announced prompting the others to nod, they'd come back for the snacks and litter later. They were on the clock and had a job to do. They hopped from rooftop to rooftop, quietly following Sasuke who was heading towards the Hokage tower. Already things seemed suspicious.

They saw the Uchiha enter inside and Anko pulled out a pair of binoculars to observe the Hokage office, most specifically the safe. After a few minutes, the Uchiha himself appeared inside and made a beeline for the safe, he then turned the dial a few times and easily opened the safe, pulling out the decoy scroll with an arrogantly triumphant grin. "That little fucker. Someone told the little bastard the safe combination." Anko growled out with a sneer.

"Aside from the Hokage, how many people know the safe combo?" Naruto asked out of curiosity since that could help narrow down their list of suspects to whoever put the Uchiha up to this.

"Not that many." She answered bluntly, since there was perhaps only a single person who'd have the gall to pull this off. Not to mention 'that person' also had an intense interest, an obsession even with certain bloodlines, with the Sharingan being amongst the most prized. Even more so since the Uchiha's were almost extinct.

"Well, this mission went from observation, to a sting. Neh, Foxy-kun. Things might go south if we aren't careful. Better safe than sorry. Ya got any Servants that would wanna back us up?" She asked with a grin since there was a strong possibility that the Uchiha was going to meet whoever told him about the Scroll. And if it was any of Orochimaru's people, shit was gonna hit the fan.

"I think I have two that are spoiling for a fight." Naruto spoke up as he pulled out two cards from his deck. A somewhat sadistic grin on his face while Quetzalcoatl cracked her knuckles. This was certainly going to be interesting.

With that said, they continued following the Uchiha as he made his way to the borders of the village until he came upon a clearing with an old wooden shed. The self-proclaimed Elite crouched down, obviously eager to get a peek into the scroll. Both Naruto and Anko inwardly panicked a bit, if the Uchiha figured out the scroll was a decoy, then this whole mission could go straight down the toilet.

"Oh that's not good." The whiskered boy muttered, but fortunately for them, a voice called out from the trees. Calling for Sasuke by name, distracting the Uchiha from opening the scroll, making both Pariahs to breathe a sigh of relief at the welcome interruption. After a few more seconds, the form of Mizuki appeared with a fake smile as he slowly clapped his hands.

"Well done Sasuke-sama. I knew you wouldn't have any trouble." The silver haired man spoke, congratulating the boy for his accomplishment. Ignoring the fact that things were going too smoothly.

"Of course. I'm an elite for a reason." Sasuke arrogantly replied as he turned away from the Chunin and then opened the scroll, a look of confusion on his face and then he turned towards the Chunin, the Uchiha's face burning a deep red with fury. "What the hell is this?! The Scroll is blank!"

The silver haired man's face quickly morphed into one of shock as he sputtered "B-b-blank? That can't be right! The plan was supposed to be foolproof! Unless… Sasuke? Did you tell anyone about this?" The Chunin questioned, now realizing that the boy must have done something stupid.

"A for effort. F for results and execution." Spoke the form of Anko as she appeared in a swirl of leaves alongside her student who glared at the Chunin. Mizuki knew immediately that he was exposed, he would now be arrested, trialed and likely executed. He glanced over at the Uchiha, considering on taking the brat as a hostage, but the damned Uchiha had been picked up by the collar of his shirt by the blonde woman that had pulverized his former partner Iruka.

There was no possible way he could take on Anko or that so-called goddess, together or apart. His only option was to run and vanish. With a defeated growl, he took off as fast as his legs could carry him. As he ran off, two figures stood behind Naruto with fiendish grins on their faces. "Bring him back alive. We'll have questions for him that need answering."

At his command, the two figures gave a brief 'Yes master!' and took off after the Chunin, hoping to please their master. Deeper in the woods, Mizuki huffed and wheezed as he sprinted through the woods, cursing his weakness for having spent too many years as an Academy teacher, the soft and cushy risk-free job having a detrimental effect on his Shinobi training and stamina.

He looked over his shoulder for a second, but found that he wasn't being pursued by anyone. He doubted that he had outrun them, so what were they waiting for? His question was answered when he heard a ferocious war cry and a foot slammed into his face, sending him sprawling on the ground. He coughed blood and spit out some teeth as he slowly sat up and looked for what or who had hit him.

"Oiya, oiya! Don't think for an instant that thou can run from the Douji sisters! Mwahahaha!" Spoke a clearly female voice. The Chunin blinked his eyes several times and saw two young looking girls, one with short purple hair and the other with long blonde hair… but both of them had horns on their heads.

"Eh? Onis?!" Mizuki yelped in shock, though deep in the back of his mind, he already knew that Naruto had likely summoned these creatures. Of course a demon would summon other demons.

"Mou, Master summoned us to take care of a little fish. How disappointing. But, we mustn't disappoint the master. I, the great Shuten-Douji, will carry out the master's will!" The now identified Shuten spoke as she stared down at the Chunin with a devious grin, reminding him of an animal looking down at fresh prey that's ripe for the taking.

"Don't forget Onee-chan, master wanted us to bring him alive." The blonde Oni spoke as she pulled out some kind of bone sword which made the silver haired man gulp as he tried to scurry away, only succeeding in backing himself up against a large tree.

"Of course Ibaraki-chan. Master said 'Bring him back alive'. The term 'alive' can be a pretty broad category. A disgusting little human without their limbs can still be very much alive. Bwahahaha!" The purple haired Oni laughed in amusement as she produced a blade of her own from seemingly nowhere, her words horrifying the Chunin to the point he was frozen in place. He inwardly screamed at himself to move, to run away, to do something. Anything. But it was like his body was now made of lead, and refused to obey his commands.

A few moments later, the sounds of screaming and flesh tearing could be heard throughout the forest as the Douji sisters severed the limbs off of Mizuki, to not only keep him from running, but to finally indulge in human flesh for the first time in many a moon.

**A few hours later.** **Hokage's office.**

"... And that's what happened." Anko spoke, finishing her report about the mission. Hiruzen had been initially surprised by the state Mizuki had been brought in upon his arrest, still… cutting off his limbs was an effective means of preventing escape. According to Naruto, he hadn't expected the two Oni sisters to bring the Chunin back like that, although they did honor the letter of his orders. It now seemed like some of his Summons were easier to control than others.

Mizuki readily confessed to everything. He had been contacted by Orochimaru and promised payment for the Forbidden Scroll, and given the safe combination by the Sannin himself. Mizuki had planned for Sasuke to be the scapegoat for the theft, but had forgotten the boy's arrogant and boastful nature could punch a hole in his plans.

Sasuke claimed that he'd been tricked which was true, however the Hokage was still suspicious at how readily the Uchiha had attempted to steal the scroll. He would need to instruct Kakashi to keep the Uchiha boy on a very short leash. If he allowed Sasuke to continue with this kind of behavior, then the Sandaime would have no choice but to put Sasuke in prison for. He would be sure to stress to Kakashi that any negligence would result in the instant removal and destruction of his prized Sharingan eye, regardless if it was a memento from his fallen teammate.

If Sasuke ever attempted something like this again, or dared to threaten harm to another comrade, he'd be punished for it. Harshly. "Good work to erm… What did you call your team again?" The Sandaime asked as he tilted his head.

"Team Pariah-we-don't-give-two-shits." Anko replied in a serious manner, prompting her student to elbow her in the ribs, making her facade crack a little before she spoke "Or Team Pariah for short." Their antics made Hiruzen sweat-drop a bit, but he supposed he had to expect this from such a pairing.

"Very well then Team Pariah. You'll be receiving an A-rank reward for this. Your hard work is appreciated. And Anko? As per your earlier inquiry, and given the exemplary performance with this mission your full promotion to Jonin is hereby granted." The aged Hokage spoke with a kind smile, the announcement earning a loud cheer from the Snake Mistress.

"Congrats Anko-chan." The whiskered teen spoke with a smile and hugged his sensei who returned the gesture by wrapping him in her arms. "Thanks Gaki-kun. As a full Jonin, you may refer to me as Anko-sama from here on!" She spoke with a proud smile, earning a small laugh from her student.

"Whatever you say 'Anko-sama'. We need to celebrate your promotion and our first mission success!" The whiskered teen pointed out causing his sensei to nod in agreement.

"Hot spring party!" Quetzalcoatl barked out jovially with the Oni sisters chanting "Hot spring! Hot spring!" Naruto could only smile at their antics. And a hot spring party did sound like fun, it would be wrong of him to put it off without sufficient reason. "Okay, okay. Off to the Hot springs we go." He readily agreed, earning some cheers from the Servants.

"Ibaraki! I command thee to bring plentiful sustenance and sake!" Shuten ordered, prompting her sister to salute and storm off to gather the needed supplies for the party. "Pretty sure we left plenty of snacks on that rooftop earlier. Que-chan, ya mind picking them up? I don't wanna be a litterbug or waste food." Naruto requested earning a cheerful 'Yes Master' from the goddess.

In the background, Hiruzen chuckled knowing that Anko and Naruto were seemingly tailor made for one another. They have so very much in common, both in personality and personal experience. It would almost have been a crime to assign anyone else as Naruto's teacher. It was safe to say that he could expect Naruto to flourish under her guidance.

"Oi, Jiji. I was wondering… you got any ideas why Orochimaru wanted the Forbidden scroll?" Naruto asked out of curiosity, knowing it was fully possible the rogue Sannin might try again to steal it.

Hiruzen's face became slightly more stern as he replied "I have a few ideas. My best guess is that he wished to acquire the scroll in the hopes of finding a means to cheat death. Without his Curse marks to sustain him, he is likely seeking other ways to avoid entering the realm of the dead. From my understanding, and according to Jiraiya, Orochimaru must transfer himself to a new body once every three years before his current one rots and dies. However, that is no longer an issue. But what truly concerns me, is that as his time runs out… Orochimaru may become more and more desperate. And when something or someone is back into a corner, they can become all the more dangerous."

"Don't worry old man. We'll stop him. Team Pariah doesn't back down, no matter the odds. Sooner or later that snake in the grass will turn up, and when he does, we'll make sure he doesn't get any second chances." Naruto promised with a confident grin and gave a quick two-fingered salute. The boy's bravado earned some chuckles from the Sandaime. Still, he was right. Orochimaru would have to rear his head at some point, unfortunately, it would likely be when he is at his most desperate… and most dangerous.

"Oi oi Master! Do not focus on what may lie ahead! Focus on the now! Enjoy life! Enjoy thyself! Live merrily and to the fullest without regrets! Come now! The hot springs await us!" Shuten shouted and then hoisted the blonde up with one arm as though he were some kind of toy then slung him over her shoulder and carried him away. The Oni giggled as she continued to speak "The master is mine now! Come master! Let us eat! Let us drink! Let us seek carnal pleasures as we defile each other!"

"Wait wha? What did you just say?! Holy shit! I'm gonna be violently lewded by a loli!" Naruto shouted in shock wondering if this is how is virginity was gonna come to an end.

"Hey! Hold up a sec! No way in hell I'm gonna let you rob me of my fantasy of punching his V-card! Gimme back my Foxy-kun!" Anko protested as she chased after the oni. Their exchange earning a small nosebleed from the Sandaime as he felt both sympathy and envy for Naruto's predicament. It would be a miracle if the boy would be capable of walking a straight line if things escalated further.

**Later.** **Konoha hot springs.**

In the female side of the Hot Springs, Kurenai Yuhi could be seen soaking in the water with an exhausted sigh. Her new team was certainly a handful. Kiba could best be described as something of a horndog, though given the fact he was still a teenager, and an Inuzuka at that, that shouldn't come off as a surprise. Hinata still had issues with her insecurities and persistent habit of self-doubt. Shino however didn't seem to have any major issues and often served as a mediator for the antics of his two teammates, but even still, she could tell that this team wouldn't be easy to handle.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard some kind of commotion coming from the mixed bathing area. She raised an eyebrow as she lifted a hand to her ear and heard what sounded like… sensual moans. The crimson eyed woman narrowed her eyes wondering if that asshole Jiraiya had hired some hookers to have some kind of orgy in the mixed bathing area. If that was the case, she was going to put the old bastard's balls in a vice and slowly squeeze until they finally popped.

Groaning in disgust, she grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around her waist to protect her modest and then angrily stomped over to the mixed bathing area. "This is a bathhouse! Not a whore house you… you…" Kurenai shouted as she entered the mixed section, but her voice died in her throat when she saw the scene before her.

Sitting in the water was the form of her best friend Anko Mitarashi, laughing boisterously as she had an arm wrapped around her new student as they drank sake together. On another side of the mixed section was a pair of horned girls that seemed to be gorging themselves various snacks and foods while chugging down entire tankards of Sake. And finally, the blonde woman that had beaten that Iruka guy within an inch of his life was doing some kind of war dance while in the buff.

The Snake mistress was the first to take notice of the Genjutsu user's presence and shouted "Yo! Nai-chan! We're celebrating my promotion and our team's success! Wanna join us?" The crimson eyed woman could only blink several times as she took in the scene several more times to be certain that she wasn't hallucinating from the heat.

"Anko? Wha… what's going on here?" The Genjutsu Mistress asked as she felt heat form on her cheeks, feeling embarrassed that she had found her friend in a highly intimate position.

"Didn't I already tell ya? We're celebrating. You okay Nai-chan? You're looking a little flustered." Anko pointed out as she tilted her head. It almost seemed like the Genjutsu mistress had never seen anyone cuddle in the mixed area before. Granted Anko was also doing it to protect her Foxy-kun's virginity from that Oni party animal, but still… it felt nice for her to be so close to him.

Before the Genjutsu Mistress could get another word in, the horned girl with purple hair approached "What's this? Yet another human temptress seeking the master's affections? I won't allow thee to defile the master! That is my duty!" At that, Kurenai's face turned a glowing neon red at the girl's words.

"Wha? Temptress?! Defile?! Master?! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING INTO NARUTO?! Explain yourself this instant!" Kurenai shouted as she pointed an accusatory finger towards the Jinchuuriki who was now a little flustered himself. Apparently both Shuten and Ibaraki being Oni's they often followed their baser instincts and didn't have much in the way of a filter. He supposed he'd have to explain they were his Summons.

But before he could even get a word in, Shuten had already swiped Kurenai's towel in one swift motion and then tackled her to the ground. "How dare you speak to the master that way? Heathen! Harlot! Blasphemy! I, the great Shuten-Douji will punish you accordingly! Ibaraki! Bring the Sake!" The Oni ordered her blonde sibling who almost instantly appeared with one of the numerous Sake tankards while Shuten tied off Kurenai's wrists using the tower that had been ripped from her body.

"Hey! What're you..?" The crimson eyed woman tried to speak, but was cut off when the tankard's opening was forced into her mouth and she was forced to chug down the alcoholic contents just to keep from choking. She tried to struggle and kick her legs to shake off the Oni but was no match for the girl's strength, causing the Genjutsu user to curse herself for focusing too much only on Genjutsu.

She groaned and sputtered as she felt the booze flow down her throat, leaving the distinctive burning sensation in her throat. It wasn't long before things started to get a little hazy and she could tell the alcohol was now getting to her head. After a few more seconds of chugging, the tankard was taken away from her lips and Kurenai let out an odd sound that sounded something like a burp and a hiccup. "Ehhhhh. Vhat vere ve arbooing apoot?" Kurenai muttered drunkenly before she hiccupped.

"Whoa. What the hell is that stuff? Kurenai-san seems totally hammered." Naruto muttered with a sweat-drop since he doubted that she was a lightweight.

"Ara, ara Shuten. You shouldn't be so rough with humans. Especially the females. They're soft and squishy little things." Quetzalcoatl muttered as she approached the Genjutsu user and casually shooed the Oni's away from her who seemed to quickly lose interest as they went back to drinking.

"Ehhhh? Voo jou galking squigy? Ah'm an efeet Bonin! Ah'm not squigy." Kurenai muttered in a drunken daze and then quickly pulled the blonde goddess into a kiss which shocked her, her master, and the Dango lover. "Ah'll svow ooh vho izzzzz squigy." The drunken Jonin mumbled and then started pawing at the Lucha lover's body which made for a highly erotic scene.

"Ummm… should we… do something?" Naruto asked feeling that things were suddenly getting out of hand. All the while, Anko was watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. She leaned over to her student and replied "Ehhhhh. Not yet."

Suffice it to say, Team Pariah-we-don't-give-two-shits was off to a rather impressive… and raunchy start. And at the same time, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what other quirks his other Servants might possess. Regardless… he was looking forward to more adventure, more experiences and maybe some laughs along the way.

**End chapter two.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Nothing much to say here. Another update, another chapter. Reviews and feedback will always be welcome and appreciated.**

**Big thanks to Beta Reader Kenchi Narukami.**

**Warning: Some bashing this chapter. (Don't say you weren't warned.)**

**Chapter three: Unexpected development.**

Kurenai groaned as she stirred awake and pinched the bridge of her nose, grumbling "Goddamn it. That was a hell of a dream." Her nose twitched when she caught the scent of food cooking. She looked off to the side and saw her old friend cooking a large breakfast of eggs and bacon while dressed in only her underwear, while at the table sat the form of Naruto who was the first to take notice that their guest was awake.

"Hey Kurenai-san. Nice to see you awake. You had… hehehe, quite the night." Naruto greeted her with a sheepish grin, making the Genjutsu mistress quickly realize that the previous night's events actually happened. The memories of what happened crashed down in her like a ton of bricks, she remembered kissing that blonde woman, then there was some kind of wrestling match with lots of lotion, then she was groped and molested by the Oni's and then she grabbed the young Naruto and humped him like a bitch in heat.

"Oh my god. I am… I don't..." Kurenai tried to apologize for her drunken behavior, but her words kept sticking in her throat. She was silenced when the whiskered teen raised a hand and replied "I guess you remember everything that happened. Don't worry about it. You drank almost a gallon of Oni grade booze and miraculously didn't die of alcohol poisoning. I would have been amazed if you didn't act kinda crazy."

The Crimson eyed woman breathed a deep sigh of relief at how understanding the boy was and then asked "That woman and those girls, where are they now? Who are they? And why did that crazy little Oni girl call you master?"

The blonde hummed in thought, though he supposed that he did owe her an explanation after what happened. "Well, the long and short of it is they're my Summons. You had the misfortune to meet Shuten-Douji and her sister Ibaraki. They are… kinda difficult to fully control. And you already locked lips with Quetzalcoatl. They're currently back in card form to sleep off the party." At that, the black haired Jonin breathed a sigh of relief that those two Oni's weren't around to raise hell.

"I see. You certainly have an… interesting kind of Summons. Do take care though in case they prove too much for you to handle." Kurenai cautioned him as she joined him at the table, taking notice that she was wearing some of Anko's clothes. She could only guess that her old friend had dressed her so she wouldn't have to sleep in the nude.

"No kidding Nai-chan. Anyways, breakfast is now served! Eat your fill!" The Snake mistress announced as she deposited both Naruto and Kurenai's portions in front of them before taking her own seat. After a brief 'itadakimasu' they all began to dig in to their morning meal as the two Pariahs ate with gusto, while the Crimson eyed woman ate at her own pace in a more relaxed manner.

"Oi, Anko-sama. What are we gonna train in this time?" The Jinchuuriki asked out of curiosity to get some insight on their training for the day.

"The bread and butter of any Ninja worth their salt. Chakra exercises. The bare basics and perhaps one of the most important aspects of Ninja training." Anko answered with a large grin, her response prompting Kurenai to nod since it was indeed important, and she was actually a bit surprised to see her friend acting as a responsible teacher. But then, when Anko puts her mind to something, she'd always give it her best.

"Indeed. With the aid of Chakra control exercises it is possible to expand one's chakra reserves and use it more efficiently, therefore making High ranked Jutsu easier to perform and less taxing." Kurenai explained in a matter of fact tone, making the boy nod in understanding.

"Cool. I look forward to it." He spoke with a grin, but it fell when he heard a low chuckle come from his Sensei.

"You might change your tune when you do Chakra exercises Anko-style." She muttered with a malicious grin, which silently promised she was going to put the boy through hell. The Genjutsu mistress had to hold back a smile of her own, unsure whether to have pity or be amused for Naruto's upcoming plight. After a few more moments, they all finished their breakfast with Kurenai being the first to get up from her seat.

"I appreciate everything, but I must be going now. I have a team of my own to train and I don't want to set a bad example by being late." The crimson eyed woman spoke and gave a small bow of gratitude before departing towards her own apartment to acquire a change of clothes and to freshen up before meeting her team.

"Guess that's our cue to get going as well." Anko pointed out as she departed towards her bedroom to change into her usual outfit for the day while Naruto went to the guest bedroom to change as well. To be honest, he was actually glad that his new Sensei was letting him stay with her in her apartment. On the one hand, her apartment was much bigger and nicer than his with plentiful space. Plus Anko mentioned it was a team-building exercise unto itself, allowing them to continue bonding and getting to know each other better. Though their bond was already pretty strong and they already knew each other well, it was nice to have easier access now that they were under the same roof and would be working closely from here on.

Once they were ready they departed for the Forest of Death. After a few minutes, they arrived at the borders of the Forest which was generally the safest area since the numerous dangers and predators kept to the deeper parts of the woods where the treetops blotted out the sunlight. So it would be the perfect place for them to train in privacy and general safety.

"All right Naruto-kun, we're gonna be doing the tree walking exercise. The building blocks to higher levels of control. You're gonna focus chakra to your feet and scale the tree as fast as you can, the faster you make it to the top… the more I'll up the difficulty. Got it?" Anko asked at the end after giving her instructions causing the boy to nod in understanding. Though the exercise sounded simple, he could safely guess that it was far easier said than done since the trees in the Forest of Death were known to grow to enormous heights. Still, it seemed like great stamina and endurance training as well.

"Sounds fairly straightforward. Anything else I need to know? Like saaaaay how to use my Chakra to climb?" Naruto asked with a small frown, scratching the side of his cheek while his sensei chuckled a bit.

"Well, first you need to focus chakra to your feet to stick to the tree and start scaling it. Too much chakra, you'll blast yourself off the surface. Not enough and you'll slip off. You gotta keep your chakra in balance and under control at all times. Though how much depends from person to person. So you kinda gotta figure the rest out on your own." She instructed, making the boy nod as he prepared to sprint up the tree, focusing chakra to his feet as Anko instructed as she pulled out a small stopwatch.

"You may start whenever you're ready." Anko spoke with a small smile, eager to see what would come next. The blonde smirked and then charged towards the nearest tree, but as soon as he planted his foot against the surface, he was blasted back, leaving a footprint where he attempted to begin his ascent.

The boy groaned as he got up from the ground and muttered "Okay. Way too much that time." He got back to his feet and cracked his neck a bit, deciding to use a little less Chakra this time. He charged at the tree again and was blasted off once more, though with slightly less intensity than the first time. Once more Naruto got up and lessened the amount of Chakra again before charging up the tree once more, only this time he managed to cling to the surface and began to scale up the tree earning an impressed whistle from Anko.

"Not bad, took me at least ten tries before I found the right amount on the first session." She whispered to herself as she followed behind him to both keep track of his ascension and to join in on the training as she trailed behind him. She noticed that he didn't seem to be running at his full speed, it was likely he was pacing himself to get a better handle on Tree Walking before going all out. Not a bad idea. It would be most likely he'd quicken his pace on the next try.

At last, her student broke through the tree tops and perched on one of the many branches as he looked down towards the ground, smirking a bit on his progress. "Not bad for a first timer. But I think you can do way better than that." She spoke as she dangled the stopwatch, challenging her student to try and beat his own time. A challenge he accepted as they went back to ground level, and then resumed running up the tree. Much faster this time which impressed his Sensei.

"Not bad. It's actually pretty impressive. You caught on pretty quick. Next time I'll be sure to add training weights to slow you down." She announced, eager to up the intensity of their training on the next session. Naruto smirked as he cracked his knuckles in eagerness. Now this was his kind of training, the kind that involved no long winded lectures, like at the Academy, but actual experience.

They continued the process of running up and down the tree for some hours until the sun began to set, and after they had finished their session, the two were panting as a sheen of sweat was visible on their bodies. "Damn. That was actually pretty fun." The blonde spoke as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, his sensei nodding in agreement.

"You said it Gaki." Anko agreed, her face flushing a bit as she got closer to her student with a grin. "Come on, we should head back home and shower. If you want, we can take one together." She offered with a sultry smile, her offer making the blonde blush a bit. But then, they had already bathed together at the Hot springs. And Anko had promised him… well, some very intimate things.

He grinned as he nodded but before they could head home, a certain Cat masked Anbu appeared before them in a swirl of leaves and spoke "I thought I might find you two here. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Neko spoke suggestively, almost as though she were teasing them. Though Anko waved her off with a light-hearted smile.

"Nah. We were just finishing up here. What's the problem? You're not here for a social call, are you?" Anko spoke in a more serious tone since if the Anbu captain sought you out, it usually meant that it was for something important.

"The Hokage summons you both to his office. Immediately." Neko spoke bluntly, earning nods from the two Pariahs. It was likely the Hokage had another mission for them.

**Meanwhile. Hokage Office.**

Hiruzen hmmed in thought as he awaited the arrival of Team Pariah, a loud sigh could be heard from the man sitting across from the Sandaime. The visitor in question being none other than his student Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin who seemed to be a bit perplexed as to why he'd be summoned so unexpectedly to Konoha. "Hey, uhh, Sensei? You mind telling me what this is all about? I was in the middle of investigating Oto when you called me." The Sannin asked since the silent treatment from his sensei was making him uncomfortable.

"You'll know soon enough." The Sandaime answered cryptically as he laced his fingers while giving the Sannin a hard stare. The kind that any teacher worth their salt would give to unruly students, making the Toad summoner feel like he was shrinking in his seat a bit. He chuckled nervously and replied "Listen, Sensei. If this is about the hot springs staff catching me installing cameras last month, I assure you it was with good intentions. You know, for the spy network."

The Sandaime said nothing, and only glared harder at the Sannin, making Jiraiya swallow a lump in his throat before shutting his mouth. For some reason he had a feeling in his gut that told him that he wouldn't be able to weasel his way out of this one. After a few more moments of awkward silence, the doors to the Hokage office finally opened revealing the forms of Neko who ushered in both Anko Mitarashi, and Naruto Uzumaki.

Jiraiya was surprised to see that Minato and Kushina's child was here, but he decided to play it cool and pretend not to know the kid. If Anko was here, it was likely about her Curse Mark. "Heeeeeey, Anko-chan. As nice as it is to see you again, I haven't made any progress in dispelling the Curse Mark. Sorry." He spoke apologetically, however… something about it actually seemed ungenuine.

The Snake Mistress crossed her arms beneath her bust and gave an unimpressed look "I'll just bet. Though that's no longer necessary. My Curse Mark is gone now. All thanks to my new apprentice. Naruto? Meet Jiraiya." She spoke and gestured towards her student after introducing the Sannin. The Jinchuuriki glaring suspiciously at the toad user.

"So you're Jiraiya, eh? I'd say it's nice to meet you… but then I'd be lying." The blonde spoke in a bitter tone, making the Sannin frown a bit.

"Hey now. Where's the love? Why are you people treating me like some kind of crook?" The Sannin questioned, wondering what he did to deserve being treated like this.

"You can stop playing dumb now 'godfather'." Naruto answered with a snarl, making the Sannin jump in his seat a little as he rubbed the back of his head and glanced over at the Sandaime, guessing that the aging Hokage must have told the boy. Before the Sannin could open his mouth, he was cut off by the boy who continued "I'm curious. When were you planning to ever be part of my life? What stopped you from visiting me every so often? What stopped you from sending a simple letter to let me know I had some form of family out there? Does this have anything to do with a so-called 'prophecy' or the fact you paid of a Chunin to sabotage my education and keep me prisoner in the Academy?"

At that, the Sannin stiffened up, his face now one of shock as he turned towards the Sandaime for an explanation. "We already have Iruka in custody and he confessed to everything. I warned you long ago that it is unwise to put too much stock into prophecies, as they are often prone to misinterpretation. And now look at what you've done! You tried to ruin the future of a child." The Sandaime spoke as he gave a subtle nod to Neko who discreetly pulled out a set of handcuffs.

"It was for his own good! I had to do it!" The Sannin shouted while pointing at the whiskered teen, who seemed furious at the excuse.

"For my own good? Do you really even care what is good for me? I certainly don't believe so." The Jinchuuriki countered in disgust, with his teacher, the Anbu captain and the Sandaime all in agreement as Neko approached and slapped the pair of cuffs on the Sannin's wrists which locked with a 'clink' sound.

"Jiraiya. You're under arrest for conspiracy, bribery, child neglect and… a number of other charges that may require your picture so I can put it next to them. You're hereby stripped of all rights and privileges and shall be detained pending a trial to determine the full extent of your punishment. Though if I have my way, your Chakra will be sealed. Neko? Take him away." The Sandaime spoke, prompting the purple haired Anbu to nod as she dragged the Sannin away to toss him in prison.

"That guy… no wonder mom didn't want him to be my godparent. He had an untrustworthy look about him and then some." Naruto pointed out, recalling the tidbit when the Sandaime mentioned his parents disagreeing on Jiraiya being his godfather.

"Indeed. To be honest Naruto-kun… I feel this is partially my fault. I have always had a soft spot for my students and gave them a lot of leeway. Perhaps I should have learned my lesson after Orochimaru went rogue, but I did not. I should have pushed Jiraiya to properly caring for you, but I didn't. I am sorry." Hiruzen apologized, giving an exhausted sigh.

"Eh. Don't beat yourself up over it Jiji. Everything turned out okay. That aside, he probably would have still done a shit job anyway. I'm better off without that asshole." Naruto replied, casually dismissing the Hokage's apology.

"Perhaps so. You're both dismissed. I'll summon you again when I have settled on a trial date for him or have need of you for an urgent mission. Until then, take some comfort in the fact that Jiraiya is going to be waiting in a cold and dark jail cell for a long time." The Hokage spoke with a small grin, earning a nod from the Jinchuuriki as he and his sensei departed.

As they exited the office, Anko asked "You okay there Naruto-kun?" The blonde sighed a bit tiredly as he pinched the bridge of his nose before answering "Better than I thought I'd be. Thanks for asking. At least that's one more thorn out of my side."

Anko chuckled a bit, she had to give him credit, he was certainly made of tough stuff. But then, she supposed that after dealing with adversity for so long, that he learned to shrug off almost anything. She should know from firsthand experience. To Naruto, he likely viewed Jiraiya as yet another obstacle in his way, and now he had finally been removed.

"If you want, we can take a day off training tomorrow?" She offered, earning a chuckle from her student.

"You getting soft on me already Sensei? I'm good to go. Anytime." He relied confidentiality, making his teacher give a malicious smile.

"Nah, nothing like that. I just wanted to be generous and give you a day to prepare yourself for some real training. But if you're that eager, Anko-sama won't hold anything back!" She promised him and then ruffled his hair a bit which caused both Pariah's to laugh heartily. Since she was gonna have fun putting him through hell, and he was going to enjoy overcoming whatever challenges were thrown his way.

**A month later.**

Naruto smirked as he continued his daily exercise of running up one of the countless towering trees in the forest of Death. The sounds of chains rattling could be heard as he sprinted up the tree trunk. Anko certainly made good on her promise on not holding anything back as she kept pushing him harder and harder in his Chakra control exercises, often using training weights and heavy chains to make it more difficult for him to run up the trees.

Sometimes she would have him run across large bodies of water to master Water-walking. Of course that wasn't all he trained in, he had plentiful sparring partners thanks to the Deck of Heroes that he kept on his person at all times, and each day he would summon a different Servant to spar with and familiarize himself with them. Suffice it to say, many Servants had certain… quirks. And others had some rather… extreme personalities that would make them difficult to properly control.

Though for the most part, they all seemed pretty loyal. He supposed his connection and ownership to the Holy Grail helped keep them loyal to him. Once he made it over the treetops and perched on a branch, Anko emerged with a triumphant grin as she held up a stopwatch "Nice work. You just keep on getting faster. You're making great progress after only a month of training." she congratulated him with a proud smile.

"Appreciate it. I'd like to see Sasuke handle a month of this kind of training. You been keeping tabs on the other teams?" The whiskered teen asked as he pulled out a bottle of water and started to slowly sip at the liquid.

"I check in on their progress every now and again. Asuma and his team have been going at their own pace for the time being, though they aren't totally slacking off. It's possible they're trying to hide their real skills for now. Kurenai has been pushing her team pretty hard, but it seems like she's been having a hard time getting Hinata out of whatever slump she's in. As for Kakashi's team… well, he's been almost exclusively been working on Team building exercises." Anko explained, though at the end she gave a small scoff.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and spoke "That's all? That's kind of pathetic. If you ask me, team building is a waste of time. That kind of thing should come about naturally on its own. It's not something you can hammer into anybody."

"True. Though that's one of the benefits of apprenticeships. You get way more flexibility in training. Though I should mention that other guy on their team? A pale kid called Sai? There's something… off about him." Anko muttered as she crossed her arms while scratching the side of her face.

"Off how?" The Jinchuuriki asked out of simple curiosity since he had never seen or met anyone called Sai back in the Academy. So how did he end up on Team Seven?

"I dunno. Just… off. I'm having a hard time finding the right words to explain. Though from what I could tell, I don't think that kid gets out much. And not just because he's pale looking. You'll see what I mean later. Anyways, what say we swing by the missions office and see if there's any missions worth doing. I think a C-rank mission will be good for us." She spoke, earning a look of excitement from her student since they hadn't performed any missions since dealing with Mizuki, largely to help prepare Naruto with some much needed training.

"Sounds good to me, it might be nice to go out on one. What do C-ranks usually involve?" He asked with a grin as they started to descend back down to the ground while the blonde removed the heavy chains and weights on his body.

"Can involve all kinds of things. Bodyguard duties, dealing with thugs or yakuza, escort jobs. Stuff like that. Though don't let your guard down, in the Shinobi world, anything can happen. It's not uncommon for unexpected developments, even among C-ranks." She warned him at the end, earning a nod from her student, although they both silently agreed that they were confident that they could handle it.

"Sounds better than chasing Tora or pulling up weeds for chump change." The Jinchuuriki spoke with a low chuckle as he dumped the various training weights to the ground before using a sealing scroll to store them away. With that finished they made their way to the mission assignment office, silently wishing and hoping that the good ones hadn't been snatched up yet.

As soon as they reached the door of their destination they heard a familiar voice speaking inside… belonging to Sasuke Uchiha. They couldn't make out everything he had said, but they were certain it was something along the lines of the Uchiha demanding a higher ranking mission. "Kami. Why is it I keep bumping into this guy? Does the universe hate me for some reason? What did I do to deserve this?" The blonde asked himself as his sensei shook her head while mockingly making 'tsk tsk' sounds.

"Suck it up cupcake." Anko spoke with a playful smirk, although she could understand his pain. That Sasuke was a walking migraine waiting to happen. His piss-poor attitude alone was enough to give someone a mind-splitting headache.

"I refuse to take that as an insult. Cupcakes are delicious." The whiskered teen countered, earning a small snicker from the Snake mistress.

"Okay. I'll give you that one. But watch yourself, or I might eat you up since you so kindly pointed out that fact." She spoke and made some smacking noises with her lips to emphasise the joke, earning a small light-hearted punch to her shoulder. After their little banter, they entered inside to find the Hokage sitting at the desk, giving Team Pariah a grateful look since they had apparently provided a welcome interruption.

"Ah. Team Pariah. Welcome, welcome." The Sandaime greeted the two happily while Team Seven stood off to the side. Kakashi seemed to be busy burying his face into his book while Sasuke was glaring hard at the Jinchuuriki. Sakura seemed to be in her own world as she openly ogled the Uchiha. Finally there was a pale looking kid that could only be Sai who was giving a somewhat fake looking smile that gave Naruto a slight chill. Now he realized what his Sensei meant when she mentioned there was something off about that guy.

"Yo. Team Pariah-we-don't-give-two-shits reporting for duty!" Anko proudly stated while giving a two-fingered salute, earning some sweat-drops from the Hokage and Team Seven.

"What kind of Team name is that?" Sakura asked with a twitching eyebrow, feeling somewhat annoyed that this loud woman burst in. The pinkette glaring hard at the woman's sloven and revealing outfit and her large bust.

"It's ours. And it is the most awesome and unique Team name in the history of Team Names." Anko spoke pridefully and then stuck her tongue out mockingly towards the pinkette before continuing to speak "Anyways, we're here for a C-rank mission. Got any good ones to get my precious student's feet wet Hokage-same?"

The Hokage sighed as he took a drag from his signature pipe, but before he could reply, Kakashi beat him to the punch and spoke "Seems this is going to get a tad awkward. I was looking for a C-rank mission for my team just as well, and it seems there's only one currently available."

"Seriously Kakashi? A C-rank for your team already? Are they even properly prepared? Pinkie Pie over there doesn't even look like she's done any training. Look at her hands! Not a single blemish! No Kunoichi's hands are that dainty and delicate looking!" Anko pointed out while glaring at the Fan-girl who gulped as she hid her hands behind her back.

"Like the Dobe is in any better condition. He was the worst in our class." The Uchiha spit back, earning a small groan from Kakashi who seemed like he wanted to force himself into the contents of his book and vanish out of existence.

"Sasuke… are you really that dumb, or do you not pay attention? It has been proven that Iruka rigged my education and sabotaged me." Naruto spoke with a sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. How on earth could a nice lady like the late Mikoto have given birth to such a douchebag? As far as he knew, Itachi and Shisui Uchiha were amongst the few Uchiha males that were actually decent people… though the blonde was fairly sure they may be mutants since they weren't the norm.

"And for the record, Naruto-kun's been training hard. I bet he could wipe the floor with you easily." Anko piped in, flipping the bird to the Uchiha before pinching Naruto's butt, earning a surprised yelp and a small blush from the Jinchuuriki. Both Kakashi and Hiruzen caught that and quietly snickered to themselves.

"It seems we're at an impasse on who gets the mission. In that case, I am assigning both teams to jointly work on this C-rank mission." Hiruzen interjected since that seemed to be the only solution to diffuse this petty arguing and save himself the headache.

"Say what Jiji? You mean I gotta work with Sasuke of all people?" Naruto whined a bit, earning some looks of pity from the Jonin and Hokage. But the Hokage answered him "Sometimes ninjas must work with people they don't like. You don't have to be friends or anything, just tolerate each other long enough to complete the mission."

The Jinchuuriki crossed his arms grumpily and replied "Fine. But Sasuke better not pester me about my summoning contract or any techniques I know or am in the process of learning." With that said, he sent a glare over to the Uchiha who seemed ready to say something but someone else interrupted him.

"That seems fair. I'll try to keep Sasuke out of your hair. Just please don't try to kill each other." The masked Jonin spoke with an eye smile, trying to keep the peace between the Uzumaki and Uchiha. If there was one thing that Konoha didn't need, it was a reenactment of the Uzumaki vs Uchiha feud that could have resulted in the end of Konoha. Thank Kami for Mikoto for ending it, lest there would have been a bloodbath.

Now he just needed to keep these boys from potentially murdering each other. "I'll hold you to that Hatake. So anyways… what's this mission anyway?" The blonde asked, making Team Seven and the Sandaime face-vault while Anko sweat-dropped since they had joined on a mission without knowing the details.

The aged Hokage cleared his throat and replied "Erm, yes. Of course. You'll be serving as bodyguards for a master builder named Tazuna who has requested protection from bandits and highwaymen until the completion of his bridge in Wave country. Here he is now." The Sandaime explained and then snapped his fingers, prompting a man to enter inside. His face flushed from the influence of alcohol as he took another swig of sake from the bottle in his hand.

"So this is going to be my protection eh? A bunch of snot nosed kids? Well… I certainly wouldn't mind the company of that pretty lady there." He spoke with a slightly lewd grin, which quickly faded as Anko sent a bone chilling glare in his direction before pulling a kunai from her coat and began to twirl it between her fingers.

"I'll pass that off as the booze talking. But if you continue to make any advances or try anything funny, then client or not, I'll cut off your balls and fry them in butter and motor oil and feed them to you. Got that?" She threatened, clearly not amused by his comment.

The spectacled man seemed to quickly sober up as he replied "Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. I'm sorry." He quickly apologized at the end, earning a satisfied nod from the Kunoichi, but she didn't stop giving him a warning glare to not mess with her.

"I have to apologize for my colleague Client-san. Though for future reference, it's not always the best idea to flirt with a Kunoichi. Most especially one with a fiery temper and trained in the arts of torture. And I can assure you that you'll be more than adequately protected." Kakashi spoke in a half-joking, half-serious tone, making their client nod in understanding.

"Uh. Right. My names Tazuna, and I'll be counting on you guys to keep me safe." The aging builder said with a small bow, likely having learned his lesson and decided to try and stay on the Ninjas good side.

"Okay now, Kakashi we'll meet up at the Konoha gates in an hour after we pack up. Don't be late." Anko spoke, giving a warning glare to the Copy ninja who was infamously known for his tardiness.

"Oh don't worry. The Hokage made it very clear that such things wouldn't be tolerated, when he promised that something very valuable to me would be confiscated." The Jonin replied with a nervous chuckle as he tapped at the area of his covered Sharingan eye. While he wasn't sure if the Sandaime would make good on the threat, he certainly didn't wish to risk the memento that was given to him by his fallen teammate.

With that done, the two teams departed to their respective domiciles to pack up for their first out-of-village mission. "Hey Sensei. I'll bet you 5,000 ryo that Sakura's gonna pack up an excessive amount of clothes and unnecessary junk." Naruto spoke as he and his teacher made their way to their apartment.

"Ohhhh no. I'm not dumb enough to start taking sucker bets. I'm not gonna drown myself in gambling debts like a certain Kunoichi." The Snake Mistress spoke with a chuckly, her words causing a certain gambling addicted Kunoichi to sneeze.

**Later. Konoha gates.**

"Called it." Naruto spoke as he pointed towards the form of Sakura who was dragging along a cartoonishly stuffed backpack that seemed ready to explode at any given moment since clothes and various other objects were visible including a hair dryer, some makeup kits, et cetera. Fortunately, Naruto had proven he saw this coming and had another sealing scroll ready for Sakura's stuff.

Not because he wanted to be nice to her, given her abusive nature back during the Academy. But because if he didn't lighten the load, this mission would drag on a whole lot longer, meaning he'd be stuck with the Uchiha for a longer period of time. He looked to the side and saw the other members of Team Seven looking mildly annoyed by Sakura's excessive baggage, except for Sai who seemed to be doodling in a sketchbook he had on his person.

"Give." Naruto muttered curtly as he snatched one of the straps off Sakura's shoulders and removed the backpack before sealing it away, much to Team Seven's apparent relief, especially Sakura who gave the blonde a grateful look. "Well, nice to see someone that planned ahead." Kakashi spoke with an eye-smile.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Tazuna muttered a bit, feeling like he was caught in the middle of some angsty drama series or something. Still, it could be worse. There could be sparkling vampires.

Without a word further, they began their trip to Wave Country. For the most part, the long walk was largely uneventful with Sai still doodling in his sketchbook, or Sakura pestering the Uchiha for dates. "Say Tazuna, just curious. Why didn't you hire any Ninja from your own village?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"Wave doesn't have a Shinobi village like the other Nations. Never really needed any up until now." Tazuna answered as he popped open a fresh bottle of booze.

"Up until now? The hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked suspiciously, finding that phrase to be rather odd. This didn't go unnoticed by the Jonin either since they had heard as well. It seemed like their client was holding something back for some reason. They couldn't say for sure why, but they would certainly press him for answers later on, likely when he is under the influence of alcohol to help loosen his tongue.

"I suggest you leave Tazuna-san to his own devices, for the time being. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of summoning contract do you have? I heard you summoned an entity that shares the name of a god before Iruka's arrest." Kakashi asked, hoping to distract the boy for a little bit.

"Before I answer, why do you want to know? It's not to satisfy Sasuke's curiosity, is it?" The whiskered teen asked suspiciously, glancing over at the Uchiha who was now covering his ears to try and drown out Sakura's non stop requests for dates.

"Nah. Nothing like that. I promise. On my headband." The Copy ninja replied while holding up his hands to ease the blonde's worries.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. My contract is kinda special. It lets me summon many historical and mythical entities. Some of which may be familiar to you. It can range from legendary heroes and figures, to even deities. All I need to do to summon them is pull the desired card from my deck and transfer some chakra into it." The blonde answered and then patted the small card holder on his hip.

"Interesting. And you're not worried someone like Sasuke may try to steal it and form the same contract?" Kakashi asked, finding that such a method of summoning to be a little too convenient.

"Let's just say that the Summons are loyal to me and leave it at that. You're starting to cross into territory I don't feel comfortable discussing, even if you're an ally. And I especially don't want to say too much with Sasuke in earshot." The Jinchuuriki answered while jabbing a thumb in the self-proclaimed Avenger's direction who seemed to be leering at the deck holster on Naruto's person.

"I see your point. And pretty smart of you not to reveal the full workings of your techniques. I think you'll do just fine as a ninja. To be honest, before Anko snatched you up, I was hoping to add you to my team." The copy ninja spoke with a smile visible beneath his mask.

The Jinchuuriki quirked up an eyebrow and spoke back "That so? The hell for? And no offense, but I'd sooner jump off a cliff than be stuck on the same team as the king of brood."

Kakashi let out a small chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head and replied "I don't blame you for that. Sasuke was largely placed in my care because of… certain circumstances. As for why I wanted you on my team, I was close with your parents. But I was also happy you were paired with Anko, you two would work well together. And I had a strong feeling she wouldn't coddle you."

"You knew my parents too? What can you tell me about them?" Naruto asked out of curiosity, wondering why others seemed to know about his parents, but he himself knew next to nothing.

"Unfortunately, I can't say too much without compromising certain gag orders. But I will say this, your mother was a terrifying person. She led numerous missions that aren't on any official record, and she was the kind of person that was impossible to say 'no' to. If you earned her trust, then you earned a friend for life. But if you ever betrayed that trust… well… the last person that did that didn't get to live long enough to regret it." The Jonin answered with an eye-smile.

Naruto looked over his shoulder towards his sensei who was listening the whole time and gave a subtle nod, as if telling him it was all true. He turned back towards the silver haired man and replied "My mom sounds like an awesome and scary person."

The Copy ninja chuckled and answered back "Trust me, you have no idea. That reminds me, I think your parents would want you to have these." The Jonin reached into his vest then pulled out a trio of scrolls and handed them to the blonde, who gratefully accepted them. "One is my own personal Jutsu, the Lightning blade, also known as the Chidori. The other is a technique called the Rasengan, which was developed by your parents. That third one though… I have no idea what's in that one, but I think it's sealed so it'll open to your blood. Your mom told me to give it to you after you became a ninja." The Copy ninja explained and gave the boy a thumbs up.

"Awesome, I'll be sure to put these to good use. I can't wait to start practicing with them." Naruto replied happily as he pulled out the scroll containing his training equipment and stored them away for later.

"Have fun. Consider them to be late birthday presents, and something to make up for some of my past failures." The Jonin answered before pulling out his little orange book, that last part of his sentence earning a puzzled the blonde, but before he could question the Copy ninja about it, a shout from the Uchiha interrupted him.

"Wait a damn minute! Why the hell does the Dobe get Jutsu scrolls?!" The Uchiha demanded angrily as he quickly jogged up to the Jonin with a snarl, pointing an accusatory finger at the masked man.

"It has nothing to do with you Sasuke. This was personal business. That aside, I don't feel very comfortable teaching any dangerous jutsu given your… instability." Kakashi replied while giving a small glare with his lone visible eye. Naruto could then immediately sense what direction this was going to turn when he felt the Uchiha's eyes boring into his back.

"First this Dobe gets his own personal apprenticeship and Jonin teacher. He has some kind of powerful summoning contract, and now this?! Why is the Dobe getting all this special treatment?" The Uchiha demanded angrily, earning a scoff from Anko.

"You're one to talk about 'special treatment'." The Dango lover grumbled in disgust, earning a glare from the Uchiha who shouted "Nobody asked for your opinion Snake whore!"

Before Anko could spit back, Naruto turned on his heel and quickly shoved the Uchiha to the ground, making him fall into the dirt. "You shut the hell up Uke-teme. I'm not gonna let you talk that way to my friend!" Naruto balled his fists, preparing to land a shot on the Uchiha but Kakashi quickly stepped between them to diffuse the fight.

"Okay, let's all calm down here. We're all Konoha Shinobi. No need to kill each other." The Cyclops spoke, giving Naruto a warning look to not push his luck any further. Not because he felt that he couldn't handle the Uchiha, but the Uchiha had allies of his own in high and potentially low places.

"Are we Hatake? Are 'all' of us really Konoha ninjas?" The whiskered boy asked and sent a glare in the Uchiha's direction as he slowly got up from the ground. Sighing in aggravation, the blonde marched off into the woods to put some distance between himself and his long-time nemesis.

Anko didn't bother chasing after him, she knew he just wanted to be left alone for a bit. He just needed to cool off for a spell. She supposed that this had to be expected. Putting an Uchiha and an Uzumaki was a disaster waiting to happen. If things escalated any further, it was likely one clan was going to go completely extinct.

Kakashi glared at his 'student' and seemed almost ready to chew him out… but a shout from Naruto could be heard just a short distance in the trees. "The hell was that?" Anko muttered worriedly, then dashed off to find her student with the others following close behind, except for Sasuke who stayed rooted in place on the road. His form rigid and shaking in anger at what had happened.

After a short sprint, then found Naruto standing in a small clearing, staring at a corpse that seemed to be propped against a tree with blood around the mouth area. From the looks of the body, they were holding a pair of twin swords and was wearing a Shinobi headband bearing the mark of Kiri. From the looks of it, Naruto had accidentally stumbled on the body while trying to get away from the drama that had taken place moments earlier.

There didn't seem to be any wounds visible on the body, so whoever this ninja was, they didn't die in battle. Maybe they had been poisoned. "Man. This is just awful. I feel bad for this guy." Naruto muttered as he approached the body, it was likely he was going to express the desire to bury them. As he knelt down, he stopped when he felt cold steel pressing against his neck and noted that the eyes of the 'corpse' had fluttered open.

"Oi, oi. What's this? A rapist thinking he found easy prey? Thought you found a helpless sleeping woman and thought you could get your rocks off or something Rapist-kun?" The person asked in a feminine voice and then gave a shark-like grin as she pressed the tip of her blades a bit further into the blonde's neck.

He gulped slightly but tried to keep his cool as he answered "No ma'am. Nothing like that. I erm… actually thought you were dead." He explained, his words causing the unknown woman to quick up an eyebrow.

"What gave you the crazy idea that I was dead? I haven't kicked the goddamn bucket yet." She replied and then tasted the familiar flavor of blood in her mouth and glanced at one of her blades, using it as a makeshift mirror to see that blood had indeed pooled around her mouth while she slept. "Oh. That's why. I guess it was an honest mistake then. Congrats Rapist-kun, your manhood has been spared… for now."

Once she finished speaking, she withdrew the blade from his neck and yawned a bit. Wiping the blood from her mouth before standing up and seeing that she was now surrounded by Konoha ninjas. "Who're they then? Were you planning to make this an orgy or something Rapist-kun?" The woman asked in a snarky voice, obviously taking some sadistic enjoyment in calling the boy a rapist.

"He-hey! Just who the hell are you ya weirdo?! If you try anything suspicious, then we'll have no choice but to attack!" Sakura shouted and nervously pointed a Kunai towards the stranger, with the other Ninjas warily watching this woman in case she tried something.

The Kiri nin's face hardened as she glared at the Konoha ninjas before speaking "You do that… and someone's going to die." She spoke in a chilling voice making the Jonin adopt defensive stances in case things turned ugly.

"And who will that be exactly?" Sai asked with a fake smile as he kept his hand on his tanto. In response to his question, the Kiri Kunoichi bluntly answered "Me of course!" Her response causing the Konoha ninjas to immediately face-vault since they didn't expect such an answer.

"Okaaaay. My name's Naruto Uzumaki. Who're you supposed to be?" The whiskered teen asked, this woman was certainly quite the character. Then again, she didn't seem like a bad person.

"Names Ameyuri Ringo. At your service. No autograph requests please." The woman answered with a sly smile, her name instantly recognized by the Konoha Jonin.

"You're one of the Seven Swordsman of Kiri." Kakashi pointed out, wondering what someone like that was doing all this way.

"That's me all right. As fun as it was to make friends with a potential rapist, I have more important things to do in Wave Country." Ameyuri spoke with a bored yawn, her words surprising the other Ninjas.

"That's funny. We're heading to Wave ourselves. What's your business there?" Anko asked as she crossed her arms beneath her bust, knowing there was absolutely no way that could be coincidence.

Ameyuri twirled a lock of her hair and answered "I'm on a mission for the rebels. The Mizukage has been in cahoots with a corrupt shipping tycoon by name of Gato. Stubby little fella that's been monopolizing on Wave's ports to help ship supplies to those willing to pay for them. Usually to the highest bidder. That and he's been shipping drugs and who knows what else out as well."

At that, the Konoha Jonin glanced over at the Client and decided that he owed them an explanation. It seemed that he'd been holding out on them. It wasn't long until Tazuna cracked and began spilling everything, he claimed not to know that Gato was working with the Mizukage, but explained that he was trying to build his bridge to break Gato's hold over Wave. As this went on, Anko asked the swordswoman "So wait, you're working for the Rebels? Didn't you earn your reputation by hunting down and killing missing nins and traitors?"

"Ironic, isn't it? Tell me to gut some traitorous bastard, and I'm all for it. But I never signed up for burning kids in the streets and tossing babies out windows just for being related to clans or bloodline users." Ameyuri explained with a small sneer, her answer earning a nod from the Dango lover.

"Well, this doesn't fit the mission parameters we were given. But, way I figure it, we have two Jonin and potentially an infamous sword wielding Kunoichi. I think our odds are pretty good. And the people of Wave need our help pretty badly from the sounds of it." Naruto spoke, earning nods from both Kakashi and Anko.

"Eh. Helping out the little folk wasn't exactly in the job description, but what the hell? Seems killing this Gato prick will be good for everyone. So, fuck it, I'm in." Ameyuri piped in with a lazy smile before happily clapping Naruto on the shoulder and spoke to him teasingly "I'll get my revenge on you later Rapist-kun."

"I told you already! I thought you were dead!" The blonde grumbled with a sigh… and then he took notice of something "Wait a second… Where the hell is Sasuke?" At that, both Kakashi and Anko took notice that the Uchiha hadn't bothered showing up yet. Where was that little brat now?

If he had gone off and done something stupid… there would certainly be hell to pay.

**Elsewhere.**

"Shinobi 101 kid. Don't separate from your team." Spoke a gruff voice as he sat on the back of a bound and gagged Uchiha who seemed to be having trouble breathing due to the weight of the man on his back. The man's face wrapped in bandages as he laced his fingers together, while three other figures wearing masks could be seen.

"Zabuza-sama, why go through the effort of kidnapping this boy?" Spoke a surprisingly gentle voice from one of the masked individuals who was holding a senbon between their fingers.

The one identified as Zabuza smirked a little and answered "It's all strategy Haku. Our target is being protected by both Kakashi Hatake, and Anko Mitarashi. Both highly accomplished ninjas from Konoha. Not to mention we don't fully know the full capabilities of the other brats. When it comes to Konoha ninjas, they'll always protect one of their own before anything else. And this kid? He's got the mark of the Uchiha clan on his shirt. Not very many of those guys around, so that alone makes this little shit extremely valuable."

"I see. But what if they don't try to save him?" Haku asked with slight concern, still uncomfortable with unnecessarily taking someone's life. Even with years of training in Zabuza's service, she couldn't bring herself to snuff out the softer side of her heart.

"I'm fairly confident they will. That aside, even if this job doesn't work out, we can cut our losses and leave. I imagine that a lot of people will pay big money for this brat and his balls." Zabuza muttered with a dark sense of humor. He was wary of Gato and his unscrupulous business dealings. Not to mention he was aware that Gato would sometimes hire missing ninjas like himself… only for said Ninjas to perish before every actually receiving payment.

He certainly wasn't going to trust someone like Gato. Not by a long shot. Regardless of the outcome, Zabuza was confident that he would be the victor in the long run of things. After all… you didn't get this far as a ninja by being a jarhead.

**End Chapter three.**

**A/N: No servant Summons this chapter, and it seemed a bit more 'filler' than usual to me. Hope you still enjoyed all the same. Reviews and feedback much appreciated.**

**Next potential project:**

**Keys to the Kingdom.**

**Empathy.**

**Family is Forever.**

**The Throne Wars.**


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